Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Squash – Winter Squash

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Winter squash (including acorn, buttercup, butternut, and Hubbard varieties) is rich in Vitamin A (beta-carotene), dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), and potassium. It is naturally low in calories, fat, and sodium which makes it a perfect canvas for your healthy fall recipes. Here is a bit more about these winter squashes.

Selecting:

Choose a firm, well-shaped squash that is heavy for its size and has hard, tough skin. Do not choose those that have sunken or moldy spots. Avoid squash with cuts or punctures in the skin. Also, slight variations in skin color do not affect flavor. A tender rind indicates immaturity, which is a sign of poor quality in winter squash varieties.

Harvesting:

Since winter squash is harvested mainly during the time that pumpkins are harvested, they need to be planted in the late summer months (August to September). Harvesting would then occur from October to November.

When harvesting winter squash, handle them carefully to avoid cuts and bruises.  These injuries are not only unsightly, but they also provide entrances for various rot-producing organisms.  Cut the fruit off the vine with pruning shears.  Leave a 1-inch stem on each fruit.

Storing:

After curing, store winter squash in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location.  Storage temperatures should be 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.  Do not store squash near apples, pears, or other ripening fruit.  Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas which shortens the storage life of squash.

When properly cured and stored, the storage lives of acorn, butternut, and hubbard squash are approximately 5 to 8 weeks, 2 to 3 months, and 5 to 6 months, respectively.

Recipes:

Sources:

Iowa State University Extension. Harvesting and Storing Winter Squash. Richard Jauron.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Food Technology & Processing – Winter Squash. Aggie Horticulture.

Quinoa Butternut Squash Fall Bake

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Never sure how to prepare Butternut Squash? Try this Quinoa & Butternut Squash Fall Bake. It’s the perfect fall recipe.


Quinoa Butternut Squash Fall Bake
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Instructions
  1. Start with a clean prep area and washed hands.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Cook ground turkey in a skillet on medium heat until done.
  4. On a separate burner, cook quinoa according to the package instructions.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine butternut squash, olive oil, spinach, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and ground pepper to a bowl.
  6. Once ground turkey and quinoa are finished, add both ingredients to butternut squash mixture.
  7. Place in oven safe pan and bake for 55 minutes.
  8. Top dish with parmesan cheese and cranberries.

Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash

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Is your garden exploding with squash? You’ll be adding this cheesy dish to your regular lineup. Add some beef to create a main dish or enjoy this Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash as a side.


Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash
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Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash
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4
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Instructions
  1. Clean and sanitize your workspace. Pull back your hair and wash your hands.
  2. Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray 9” x 13” baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
  3. Slice spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Scrape out seeds of spaghetti squash.
  4. Spray each halve of spaghetti squash with canola oil cooking spray and sprinkle garlic salt and fresh ground pepper on each halve.
  5. Turn face down into baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Size of spaghetti squash may vary its cooking time.
  6. Once tender, use a dinner fork to scrape the inside of the spaghetti squash into a bowl. Caution: Spaghetti Squash is hot. Use hot pads to hold squash while scraping.
  7. Pour mozzarella cheese into the bowl of spaghetti squash, add tomato sauce, and stir.
  8. Add spaghetti squash dip back to spaghetti squash bowl. Top with parmesan cheese.
  9. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Recipe Notes

Chicken Caprese Spaghetti Squash

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All week we’ve been talking about Spaghetti Squash. Trade in your pasta for a fun take on noodle night! This Spaghetti Squash Chicken Caprese Recipe is super delicious!


Chicken Caprese Spaghetti Squash
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Squash & Chicken
Balsamic Glaze
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. While oven is heating, microwave spaghetti squash in oven for 5 to 6 minutes. This will make the spaghetti squash soft and easier to cut.
  3. Cut the top and bottom off the spaghetti squash and slice squash in half.
  4. Cook chicken in a skillet for about 4 minutes on each side.
  5. While chicken is cooking in the skillet, scrape your spaghetti squash using a spoon or knife until you get about 10 cups out. Put spaghetti squash in a bowl.
  6. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil in bowl and combine.
  7. Add spaghetti squash back in bowl and bake the spaghetti squash in the oven for 20 minutes.
  8. While spaghetti squash is cooking, mix balsamic vinegar and honey together.
  9. Remove spaghetti squash after 20 minutes or when all cheese is melted, and tomatoes have begun to burst. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve warm!
Recipe Notes

Butternut Squash Stew

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This Butternut Squash Stew is the perfect meal for a cold day! With vegetables, grains, and protein, all you need to do to make this meal complete is add a little dairy and a side of fruit!


Butternut Squash Stew
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4 2 cup servings
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4 2 cup servings
Butternut Squash Stew
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4 2 cup servings
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Servings: 2 cup servings
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Instructions
  1. Make sure your area is clean and ready for preparation.
  2. Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray.
  3. Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir.
  4. Cook in slow cooker on high for 4 hours.
  5. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Low sodium veggie broth may contain added sugars depending on brand, always read the nutrition facts label. 

Butternut Squash Stew Nutrition Facts Serving size 2 cups (396g) servings per container 4 Amount per serving Calories 250 % Daily Value Total Fat 2 g 3 % Saturated Fat 0 g 0 % Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg 0 % Sodium 220 mg 10 % Total Carbohydrate 50 g 18 % Dietary Fiber 13 g 46 % Total Sugars 5 g Added Sugars 0 g 0 % Protein 11 g Vitamin D 0 mcg 0 % Calcium 148 mg 10 % Iron 5 mg 30 % Potassium 933 mg 20 %