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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Fit It In:Take Root
By Marlee Mitchell
This time of year when little else fresh is handy,
the roots — beets, carrots, turnips, garlic, onions and
potatoes — along with dry beans and grains bring
vegetable nutrition to the table.
Winter squashes, including pumpkin, can be used in a variety of dishes. They have a
concentrated, safe amount of vitamin A which we start to manufacture less of in our
bodies due to loss of sunlight during the shorter days. Many of the foods seasonally
available from the farm during the next few months are high in the vitamins that our
bodies start to lack.
With a little inspiration, these can bring a lot of warmed smiles to the season.
Winter squashes are easy to bake, roast or steam. They can be made into purees and
soups. Slices and chunks can be fried, sautéed, or baked in gratins and simmered in
stews.
Sweet potatoes and winter squash can also be substituted for pumpkin in pie, bread,
and soup recipes. Following are two recipes for winter squash. You may substitute
pumpkin in either one.
Provençal Winter Squash Gratin
2-21/2 pounds butternut squash
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped herbs, parsley and/or mix of other herbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. butter, cut into thin pieces
1/2 cup shredded gruyere, parmesan or asiago cheese
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray shallow pie dish with vegetable oil or rub with
butter. Peel the squash and cut into even sized cubes (from 1/2 inch to 1 inch). Toss
squash with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Place the squash into the dish and sprinkle
the butter pieces on the squash. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake uncovered until the
squash is browned and tender when pierced with a knife, about 11/2 hours.
Winter Squash (or Sweet Potato) Muffins
1/3 cup chopped dates or raisins
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 packed brown sugar
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato or winter squash
1 cup buttermilk, or milk, or milk substitute
2 eggs
13/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil or spray muffin tins. Mix the dates or raisins with the
wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth; mix the dry ingredients in a second bowl.
Combine the two, mixing gently until well blended. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins
and bake on the middle shelf until lightly browned, 25 minutes.
*If you need information on baking squash, go to www.iamtodayswoman.com.Marlee
Mitchell (marleemitchell@iamtodayswoman.com) started finding ways to fit more
nutritious food into her life after her battle with cancer.
By Marlee Mitchell
This time of year when little else fresh is handy,
the roots — beets, carrots, turnips, garlic, onions and
potatoes — along with dry beans and grains bring
vegetable nutrition to the table.
Winter squashes, including pumpkin, can be used in a variety of dishes. They have a
concentrated, safe amount of vitamin A which we start to manufacture less of in our
bodies due to loss of sunlight during the shorter days. Many of the foods seasonally
available from the farm during the next few months are high in the vitamins that our
bodies start to lack.
With a little inspiration, these can bring a lot of warmed smiles to the season.
Winter squashes are easy to bake, roast or steam. They can be made into purees and
soups. Slices and chunks can be fried, sautéed, or baked in gratins and simmered in
stews.
Sweet potatoes and winter squash can also be substituted for pumpkin in pie, bread,
and soup recipes. Following are two recipes for winter squash. You may substitute
pumpkin in either one.
Provençal Winter Squash Gratin
2-21/2 pounds butternut squash
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped herbs, parsley and/or mix of other herbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. butter, cut into thin pieces
1/2 cup shredded gruyere, parmesan or asiago cheese
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray shallow pie dish with vegetable oil or rub with
butter. Peel the squash and cut into even sized cubes (from 1/2 inch to 1 inch). Toss
squash with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Place the squash into the dish and sprinkle
the butter pieces on the squash. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake uncovered until the
squash is browned and tender when pierced with a knife, about 11/2 hours.
Winter Squash (or Sweet Potato) Muffins
1/3 cup chopped dates or raisins
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 packed brown sugar
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato or winter squash
1 cup buttermilk, or milk, or milk substitute
2 eggs
13/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil or spray muffin tins. Mix the dates or raisins with the
wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth; mix the dry ingredients in a second bowl.
Combine the two, mixing gently until well blended. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins
and bake on the middle shelf until lightly browned, 25 minutes.
*If you need information on baking squash, go to www.iamtodayswoman.com.Marlee
Mitchell (marleemitchell@iamtodayswoman.com) started finding ways to fit more
nutritious food into her life after her battle with cancer.
How to cook a squash --
If a squash is too tough to
cut into pieces or too large to
handle easily, bake it whole
at 350 in a dish with sides
until flesh feels soft when
pressed, 30 to 40 minutes or
longer depending on size.
Remove, then halve and
scrape out the seeds. Return
it to oven and continue until
it’s done.
Varieties of winter squash
are Acorn, Banana,
Buttercup, Perfection, Honey
delight, Kubocha, Black
Forest, Red Kuri, Butternut,
Delicata, Hubbard, Sweet
Dumplings, Jack–be-Littles,
Spaghetti Squash, and
Turban.
Cutting a large squash can
be difficult. A heavy knife or
cleaver and a rubber mallet
are useful when doing this.
Whack the knife into the
squash, then bear down or
tap it with the mallet to open
the squash. Cut next to the
stem rather than through it- it’
ll be easier on you knife. Use
care when cutting squash,
they are round thus slip
easily. I sometimes slice a
thin piece off of one side to
have a flat surface which I
place cutting side down to
prevent slippage, then
proceed to cut.
If a squash is too tough to
cut into pieces or too large to
handle easily, bake it whole
at 350 in a dish with sides
until flesh feels soft when
pressed, 30 to 40 minutes or
longer depending on size.
Remove, then halve and
scrape out the seeds. Return
it to oven and continue until
it’s done.
Varieties of winter squash
are Acorn, Banana,
Buttercup, Perfection, Honey
delight, Kubocha, Black
Forest, Red Kuri, Butternut,
Delicata, Hubbard, Sweet
Dumplings, Jack–be-Littles,
Spaghetti Squash, and
Turban.
Cutting a large squash can
be difficult. A heavy knife or
cleaver and a rubber mallet
are useful when doing this.
Whack the knife into the
squash, then bear down or
tap it with the mallet to open
the squash. Cut next to the
stem rather than through it- it’
ll be easier on you knife. Use
care when cutting squash,
they are round thus slip
easily. I sometimes slice a
thin piece off of one side to
have a flat surface which I
place cutting side down to
prevent slippage, then
proceed to cut.