My son came home from his tasting today at school and announced that he was "a fan" of the butternut squash /apple soup he tried at school today -- hooray.
The great news about butternut squash that orange beta carotene filled toxin fighter is that it takes so little to make it -- once you can get the stubborn meat out of the shell. Well gratefully Trader Joes and Whole Foods has it all pre-cubed for us in the cold section of the produce isle.
I came home and preheated the oven to 350, greased a baking dish with coconut oil (butter would've been yummy too) and tossed in the squash. I added some baby carrots and opened a bag of cranberries and pre-cut pineapples and poured spiced apple cider over it. Prep work took MAYBE 5 minutes.
I covered with aluminum and baked for 25 mins and then uncovered and let it brown for another 10-15. It was a little sour because of the cranberries(I suppose I could've drizzled honey, agave or maple syrup but trying to keep calories down). Instead, I served it with quinoa and goat cheese and it was a great match. It tasted like the inside of a pie. Had I wanted the calories, only thing missing was a scoop of ice cream and we would've had dessert.
The point is, precubed butternut squash makes it easy with no more excuses. If I make again I might try baking with brussel sprouts and making more of a savory meal than sweet. Any suggestions?
