Butternut squash (and all the orange-colored squashes including pumpkin) is one of my all time favorite vegetables (which I eat almost every week, together with sweet potatoes, and is the reason why my hands get a bit orange at times!!). It’s not only sweet and delicious, but the benefits are so amazing for your health. So I wanted to shed some light on these benefits, and of course, share some of my favorite butternut squash recipes (which i use interchangeably with pumpkin).
Butternut Squash offers a lighter alternative to sweet potato (which you know i also LOVE), with less sugar, carbs, and calories, but similar to sweet potato, it’s delicious and super versatile (and a great staple for a lower-carb diet/lifestyle especially for those that limit/avoid grains). I even often replace sweet potato fries, noodles and sweet potato toasts with butternut squash and it’s just as delicious (just a bit softer).
BENEFITS
This delicious veggie is filled with fiber (great for digestion), vitamins, and minerals including vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and TONS of antioxidants, including carotenoids which gives it the orange color.
By the way, the next time you get cramps or muscle twitches and your doctor sends you to eat a banana, just eat a cup of cooked butternut squash that has just as much or more potassium than a medium banana!
The antioxidants found in butternut squash (and similar orange colored veggies like pumpkin and sweet potato) have been shown to help protect against heart disease by lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation, and even reduce risk of certain cancers.
HOW TO CONSUME IT
Oh so many yummy ways to eat it, from steamed, spiralized, and my 2 favorites, mashed/pureed and roasted. You can simply roast at 375 – 400 F with your favorite oil, sea salt and pepper and you get a yummy caramelized roasted veggie (or follow my roasted version adding some rosemary and balsamic). I also love it mashed to use in desserts (like my pudding recipe below), in hummus, blended into a breakfast smoothie (see below) or in a soup (which I often do in my cooking classes as it’s a client favorite!).
So if you haven’t yet, make this nutritious veggie a staple in your life!
Check out these recipes below - which as a BONUS are great healthy Thanksgiving and end-of-year Holiday dishes! And please share with me on @balancewithmariana if / when you do make them!
1) You know i’m a smoothie lover and this is an awesome recipe to start off your healthy Thanksgiving / Christmas week:
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (or Smoothie Bowl)
Ingredients (serves 1 large):
½ cup mashed/pureed cooked pumpkin or butternut squash (I steam, mash and cool squash beforehand, but if you’re in the US you can also use organic canned pumpkin pureé)
½ cup frozen cauliflower
A few slices of zucchini (i use about 1/2 zucchini)
1 serving vanilla protein of choice (I use vegan or collagen, or both!)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
½ - 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger (or ¼ tsp dried)
1 teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon nutmeg + ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice if you have (alternatively just use 1 tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp nutmeg)
1 – 2 cups almond milk (1 cup for smoothie bowl, 2 cups for regular smoothie)
Optional additional superfoods: ex. I’ll often add ½ teaspoon ashwagandha or maca
Optional toppings (if making it into a bowl): sliced banana, almond butter, shredded coconut, walnuts, extra seeds of choice
Instructions: Blend ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed. If serving as a bowl, pour into a bowl and add toppings of choice (I like to use shredded coconut, extra seeds, chopped walnuts, almond or cashew butter and maybe sliced banana).
2) This is a twist to my usual cubed roasted butternut squash with rosemary. To switch it up, I sliced it in half-moon rounds and drizzled with a balsamic reduction, and its DIVINE:
Rosemary Butternut Squash with Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients (serves 4):
1 large butternut squash
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon rosemary (chopped, fresh)
1 teaspoon sea salt (I use pink Himalayan or grey Celtic)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or can use brown sugar)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions:
Heat your oven to 400°F. Line one large (or two medium) baking sheets with parchment paper (and/or grease with coconut oil).
Peel the squash. Cut it lengthwise down the middle and scoop out the seeds (they’re great toasted). Lay the halves flat (middle facing down) and cut them into thin half circles (no larger than ¼” thick). Note: you can use acorn squash or any winter squash, doing the same, creating these half moon rounds.
Put the squash on a large baking sheet and drizzle with coconut oil, chopped rosemary and sea salt. Bake the squash for about 20-25 minutes or until the edges are browned (removing to flip pieces over once while baking, about half way through, and returning to oven).
While the squash is baking, make the balsamic vinegar reduction. Pour the vinegar into a small pot and add the sugar, stir, then add rosemary sprigs. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low (without covering). You want to reduce this by at least half (but not so much that it starts to burn). Once the vinegar is reduced, discard the rosemary sprigs.
After the squash is roasted, drizzle with a bit of the balsamic vinegar reduction. A little goes a long way – I don’t use all the reduction, just save reduction in the fridge for later use.
3) This last one is a recipe that I’ve been making for a long time since i discovered chia seeds and chia pudding, (this is an updated version of my previous recipes) and it makes for a great breakfast, snack or dessert.
Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding
Ingredients
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup milk of choice (homemade coconut, cashew or almond milk )
½ cup pureed/mashed cooked butternut squash or pumpkin
2 - 3 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained (start with 2, then add more if needed to taste. Alternatively use 1 tablespoon maple syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon (plus more later to your liking)
½ teaspoon “pumpkin pie spice” (alternatively use ¼ tsp ground ginger + ¼ tsp nutmeg + pinch of allspice or cloves if you have)
Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
Optional: 1 scoop protein powder (vegan or collagen) – vanilla or unflavored
Optional toppings: coconut yogurt, shredded coconut, walnuts or pecans, granola
Instructions:
Blend together all ingredients except chia seeds (milk, pureed squash or pumpkin, dates, vanilla, spices and optional protein powder) until very smooth.
Pour into a mason jar and mix in chia seeds, stirring for a few minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Option to leave as is or to blend a few seconds and pour back into jar.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight – for it to become very thick.
When ready, taste and add more spices if desire. Serve and top with coconut yogurt, shredded coconut, walnuts or pecans and/or granola, and enjoy!
PS. This is a new version of my Pumpkin Pie Pudding (free of honey and banana), but SEE HERE for a previous version, equally delicious and healthy.
Plus, here are 2 additional awesome recipes using butternut squash (or pumpkin or similar) that I make for my cooking classes:
4) Butternut Squash / Pumpkin Hummus (a crowd pleaser for any get-together)
5) Skinny Pumpkin Pie + Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (super healthy yet delicious alternative for the usual sugar-filled pumpkin pie desserts)
Lastly, for my Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, my Pumpkin Pie Energy Balls and Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cake with vegan vanilla frosting - tune into my cooking classes!