I kept looking at the butternut squash on my counter wondering what to do with it. It was the chosen side dish for tonight and once I’ve decided on the side vegetable, it’s rare my mind can be changed. This is what I came up with and it was pretty darned good.
Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 TBS SmartBalance (or butter)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 3 spring onions, chopped small
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary
- salt and pepper
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Eggbeaters (or one whole egg – slightly beaten)
Put your squash in the microwave on high for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and let cool until you are able to handle it.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Remove skin from the squash and slice the thin end (the end without the seeds) into 1/4″ round disks. Place on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet/dish, lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.
Remove the seeds from the other end of the squash and put the squash “meat” in to a glass bowl (or microwavable bowl if you need to). If it is not soft enough to puree, put it back into the microwave on high for another 2 – 3 minutes until it is soft and mashable with a fork.
Saute onions on medium in a little olive oil, 1/2 TBS – about 3 minutes. When cooked add to the mashed squash. Add rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, parmesan cheese and egg. Puree using an immersion blender or blender.
Melt the SmartBalance (or butter) with the brown sugar in the microwave for just about 10 – 20 seconds. Brush onto the squash disks on the aluminum baking sheet.
Taking about 1 to 2 TBS of the pureed mixture, place it on top of each squash disk. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until disk is soft and mashed topping has browned slightly. Note: You will have extra pureed squash. Simply place in a pie plate sprayed with non-stick and bake along with the other dish. Just a little extra treat.
A little extra savory squash puree
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Please consider Tyler Florence for inclusion in your blog, as he is making important innovations in the cooking world. You can read more about Tyler Florence at his website (
www.TylerFlorence.com) or through his Twitter. Thank you for your time.
