How to Roast Winter Squash

I love the fall. A great time to eat winter squash. Roasted is my favorite way to eat them. Butternut makes a great soup and is wonderful for pies too. Here I will share my best way to roast a winter squash be it butternut, delicatta, small sugar pumpkins or acorn, and/or any other thick skinned starchy yellow to orange squash you happen upon.

Ingredients

1 medium winter squash cut in half
4 Tbs maple syrup
salt
freshly groundwhite pepper
freshly ground whole nutmeg
ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In an oven proof dish to fit the squash, place the squash cut side up.
Drizzle the maple syrup equally over both halves. Sprinkle the salt, freshly ground white pepper, the fresh nutmeg and the cinnamon evenly over the maple syrup.
Place the squash in the hot oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the squash is tender.
Serve with your favorite fall dinner.

Recipe, writing and photos by Karen Pickus 2011

Courtesy Karen Pickus 2011

A Great Snack!

ROASTED GARLIC WITH BAKED POTATO

I first wash the potatoes...russets or Idahos work well but you can get a sweeter taste by baking a red bliss or white boiling potato, they are great too! Set the temperature in your oven to 450 degrees. Bake a potato by cutting slits into the potatoes,  put them right on the oven rack and roast them for about an hour until they give when you press against the skin firmly with your finger.
Roast the garlic by cuting the top 3rd off of a bulb of garlic. Place the bulb of garlic in a small piece of aluminum foil. Place into the hot oven and roast for about an hour until the cloves are golden and have softened.
When they are ready. Place the potato on a plate, cut it open and (experience the tableside sauna) then season with coarse grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Separate 2-3 cloves and squeeze the garlic from the peels. Top with Dijon mustard and sour cream and you have a great mid afternoon snack ( I sometimes do this with a small boiling potato if I have them on hand) that will definately hold you for dinner or serve with dinner to accompany the entree and veg.
These are also great without the garlic, if you prefer.

Writing, recipe and photo, by Karen Pickus, 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus, 2011

Breakfast of Champions

This is an amazing breakfast! It holds you. Loaded with protien, complex carbos and fiber and omega 3's. No refined sugar, or carbs and very hearty.

1/2 cup organic rolled oats
1/2 cup organic quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups fresh blueberries (you can use any fresh fruit here).
2 Tbs. ground flax seeds
Sprinkle of cinnamon on each serving

Bring the water to a boil in a 2 quart pot.
Rinse the quinoa in a strainer. When the water comes to a boil add the oats and the quinoa to the pot.
Lower the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes until all of the water is nearly absorbed. Let the grains steap in the pot for another 10 minutes.
Place the berries in the bottom of 4 bowls. Divide the cereal into 4 portions over the berries. Top with the ground flax seeds and finish with the cinnamon.
Serves 4.

Tip: Dedicate a coffee grinder to flax seeds and grind a container full and keep in an airtight container in the freezer and use on your whole grains, yogurt, soups and smoothies.

Recipe, writing and Tips and photos, by Karen Pickus 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus, 2011

Quick and Easy Bakes