Monday, December 09, 2013

My very first Acorn Squash experience

There were some aspects of my early life in which I was very sheltered. Perhaps I actually ingested acorn squash when I was a child but....no memory of it at all. My mother wasn't an adventurous cook although she was an excellent in preparing and putting good food on our dinner table. But I never remember acorn squash.



Reading about it so much lately prompted us to purchase this gourd. My experience was good. Love the acorn squash. I weep for all the years my palate was deprived of this nutty sweetish flavor.

Fresh out of the oven



It looks so elegant nestled in the bowl, the butter and brown sugar pooling together



The farmer's market has many varieties of squash this time of year. Roasting it with a little butter, cinnamon and brown sugar is the easiest way to prepare it. This method would also work for butternut squash.

To eat, simply mash it all around in the baked husk or scoop it out and plop it on your plate.


Roasted Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar

1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds and fibers removed
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
dribble of maple syrup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Cut the tablespoon of butter in half and place one cube in each halved squash. Top with brown sugar and drizzle maple syrup. Place in a baking dish, add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Beauty of this was, I popped a casserole dish of chicken with sliced grape tomatoes in at the same time so...dinner was miraculously ready with all dishes cooked and ready at the same time.

Roasted chicken thighs with olive oil and grape tomatoes. Roasted potatoes too.


This week I have some meal planning although last week's meal plan went awry. Plus I see now I didn't post it so...no bother there. I had planned on a brisket and forgot to thaw it so that has to wait until next weekend. Looking forward to sharing brisket #4 with you.

Hope all is well with you and yours this busy December.

6 comments:

  1. I LOVE Acorn Squash, Tina!!! We never had much winter squash when we were kids either. Zucchini yes, Acorn, NO!

    I actually made Acorn Squash for Thanksgiving. I sliced it though and seasoned it with cinnamon and maple syrup. Oh so good and it cooked faster. I usually turn mine upside down for the first hour or so and then flip it and fill it with butter and brown sugar just like you've done here. Oh so good. Yours looks so good I feel like diving in!

    There are so many wonderful recipes for Acorn Squash. I bet you will be enjoying plenty of them now that you've been "formally" introduced! Thanks for sharing...

    P.S. Could you swish up some of that heat, please:)

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  2. You did have a good experience. What doesn't work with brown sugar and butter??? You need to stuff some with some quinoa next!

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  3. Funny thing: I also can't remember any squash at all in my childhood. Did grocery stores begin to sell it at some later point? Or was it just not in the typical food list back then?

    Anyway, a variation on your recipe is to fill the cavity with cranberry sauce or home-made chutney instead of butter etc.

    Over the years I have posted many chutney recipes in case you need one -- all would be good with acorn squash. See http://maefood.blogspot.com/2008/08/chutney-recipes.html

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  4. I too have never had acorn squash - was it a side dish for the chicken with cherry tomatoes??

    #dribble

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