Curbly in the Kitchen: How to Make a Winter Squash

By erinloechner

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC).
Wash the outside of your squash.
Cut the squash in half.
Scrape all seeds and loose "threads" from the center cavity of the squash. Save the seeds for roasting just like pumpkin seeds.
Place both sides of the squash, cavity side up, into an oven-safe casserole dish or cake pan. Very lightly sprinkle salt and/or pepper over the inside of your squash. Some also prefer to brush the surface with olive oil before seasoning.
Pour water into the dish to a depth of about two inches. This will keep the squash from drying out.
Place the dish into the center of the oven. Bake squash for 45 minutes to an hour, or until you can stick a fork clear through the top skin and down through the flesh inside.
Remove the dish from the oven.
Scrape the baked squash out of the squash shell with a spoon and place it into a bowl. Scrape all that you can and throw away the shell.
- If you want to stuff the squash, only scrape out enough flesh to enlarge the cavity. Mix the scooped flesh in with the stuffing, then scoop the stuffing into the squash cavities.
Baked acorn squash with almonds.

Mash some butter, salt and pepper into your squash and serve it hot.

Tips

Be adventurous! Stir in or top your squash with any of the following items: sour cream, dried minced onions, parsley flakes, sauteed onions, raw onions, shredded cheese, cooked (frozen or canned) peas, mixed vegetables, cottage cheese. The flavor of squash also works great with curry powder or ginger; garlic and cumin bring up the savory notes.
Make it sweet! Instead of salt and pepper, add a small amount of butter or margarine to your squash, some sugar, maple syrup or honey and any of the following spices: cinnamon, pumpkin pie blend, apple pie blend, ginger, allspice.
Make a casserole!
Try mixing some butter or margarine and brown sugar with your squash.
Peel butternut squash with a veggie peeler (skin is tough so exercise caution). Halve the squash. Scoop out and discard seeds. Cut the squash into 1/2" dice. Spray a baking dish with veggie spray. Place squash dice into the baking dish. Melt 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter and pour over squash cubes. Pour 2 Tbsp. PURE Maple Syrup on squash cubes. Toss cubes to coat well. Sprinkle with salt. Bake, uncovered in 425 degree oven 1 hour.
Cleaned, cut, oiled squash halves can also be cooked in the microwave - set the time and power level as you would for a similar weight of baked potato, or cook on High for 2 minute intervals until fork-tender.
Squash peel is edible and full of vitamins and fiber. After it is cleaned and cooked, it can be eaten along with the squash. I particularly like the peel of acorn squash and always eat every bit of it right along with my half of squash. Sure, some squashes have tougher hides and probably aren't all that palatable, but give it a try anyway - can't hurt.

Warnings

Be careful not to burn yourself while taking the squash out of the oven or putting the squash in if you preheated it. [from WikiHow]

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November 10, 2007

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About: Writer Erin Loechner launched award-winning art/design blog Design for Mankind in mid-2007 in an attempt...