I used to dislike cooked squash. Raw, fine, but cooked was gross. Then a couple of years ago we went to Finland for the World Rally Championship. After five days of eating track food, I needed some vegetables. We were in a restaurant in Helsinki and despite the description that said squash umpteen ways, I ordered the curried vegetables. It was really good. You know why? They had removed all the yucky seeds and the disgusting goo around them.
I realized that I probably can like just about anything if it's prepared right.
So now squash is one of my go-to vegetables and my favorite way to prepare them is oven-roasted. Roasting is simple, doesn't require a lot of monitoring or make a big mess, and it brings out the sweetness in foods. Who doesn't need a little more sweetness in their lives? Here's how I do it.
Preheat the oven to 400-450 degrees F. Assemble your vegetables--don't forget to look in the refrigerator for anything that's near the end of its life, like carrots or garlic.
I realized that I probably can like just about anything if it's prepared right.
So now squash is one of my go-to vegetables and my favorite way to prepare them is oven-roasted. Roasting is simple, doesn't require a lot of monitoring or make a big mess, and it brings out the sweetness in foods. Who doesn't need a little more sweetness in their lives? Here's how I do it.
Preheat the oven to 400-450 degrees F. Assemble your vegetables--don't forget to look in the refrigerator for anything that's near the end of its life, like carrots or garlic.
Cut up your vegetables all the same size. Smaller pieces will cook quicker. Be sure to de-seed the squash. More and more groceries are offering pre-cut vegetables that are perfect for this cooking method, so you may not even need to put this much effort into it.
Collect the vegetables in single layer in a pan. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil and sprinkle with herbs, pepper, and a little salt. I use an Italian seasoning mix that I found in this book.* You can use any mix you like, but I find that Italian-style mixes work well with almost any vegetables.
Bake the vegetables for 20 to 40 minutes and stir at the half-way point. The duration depends on the type of vegetables you're cooking and their size. Asparagus only takes about 10 minutes. Pierce the vegetables with a fork to determine when they're done to your liking. I like my vegetables well-cooked and the onions caramelized and sweet.
We usually have plenty of leftovers and I add them omelets or make a quick soup for lunch by adding them to homemade chicken broth (thanks, Lorna Sass, for giving me permission to simplify this process).
Now that I've figured out a way I like squash, can anyone tell me a decent way to fix Brussels sprouts?
*I use this Italian seasoning on everything. Omelets, all vegetables, in soups and spaghetti sauce. I make it with the optional red pepper flakes, so it has a little kick. Buy the book, get a pressure cooker.
We usually have plenty of leftovers and I add them omelets or make a quick soup for lunch by adding them to homemade chicken broth (thanks, Lorna Sass, for giving me permission to simplify this process).
Now that I've figured out a way I like squash, can anyone tell me a decent way to fix Brussels sprouts?
*I use this Italian seasoning on everything. Omelets, all vegetables, in soups and spaghetti sauce. I make it with the optional red pepper flakes, so it has a little kick. Buy the book, get a pressure cooker.