Are you feeling the need for a healthy dose of vitamin A, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds and fiber, too? Does it have to be fast and easy because you are short on time? How about cheap and widely available at any grocery store so you can just run in and grab it on the way home from work?
Acorn squash are available pretty much everywhere.
Spiced acorn squash will meet all of those requirements and throw in a little healthy fat and lots of flavor. Total prep time from start to into the oven should be about 5 minutes. Check your e-mail and catch a quick shower while it bakes for 15-20 minutes. Eat half and still have another meal for another day. A healthy whole food diet doesn’t get any better!
Start by splitting the squash but be careful as they are hard and the skin can be very tough.
Start by splitting the squash in half through the stem to the bottom point. These are hard squash so I like to use a sharp paring knife, starting just to one side of the stem and working my way around the squash to the other side of the stem. If you are feeling brave and have very sharp knives you can use a chef knife to cut through the whole squash in one go.
Scoop out the seeds but don’t throw them away. They are tasty and very nutritious.
Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and pulp from both halves. Save the seeds as they make a delicious and nutritious snack. Put them in a colander and clean off the pulp under cold running water, then dry on paper towels for later.
Rub with oil and season the squash with your favorite spices.
Rub each acorn squash half with a tablespoon of olive, avocado, coconut or other favorite oil. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground clove, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and ground ginger. The spices will add a lot more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds along with the pumpkin pie flavors.
Bake on a small tray until the squash is soft and juicy.
Place the spiced squash halves on a small baking sheet in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. They can be eaten with a spoon right out of the skin or scooped out and served as a mash.
Spiced acorn squash can be a meal by itself. It goes well with curries and stir fries. Use it as a side dish with pork, poultry or fish entrees. Experiment with different spices and combinations. Sometimes I like to make a piquant version using red chile powder or flakes and ground turmeric with ground cumin.
This type of recipe can also be used with most of the other hard squash varieties like butternut. Play around with it. Have fun. When it come to diet, variety is good.