Winter Squash Recipe

This winter squash recipe and the accompanying information is mainly obtained from one of our favorite sources of nutritional information as well as recipes, The World's Healthiest Foods.

There are many varieties of winter squash including butternut, acorn, hubbard, spaghetti, turban or buttercup, kabocha, and of course, pumpkins.

Winter squash contain an abundance of carotenoid phytonutrients that are powerful antioxident and anti-inflammatory agents. The alpha- and beta-carotene are "provitamin A" compounds that are converted into an active form of vitamin A. They also contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid that is excellent for heart health. It is also a very good source of vitamin C.

Other nutritional elements of winter squash include free radical-scavenging manganese and copper, energy-producing vitamins B1 and B5, and sleep producing tryptophan.

For this recipe we'll use butternut squash.

7-Minute Steamed Butternut Squash

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cups butternut squash
• 6 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Put water in bottom of steamer
2. While water is coming to boil, cut up the squash into 1-inch cubes
3. Steam covered for 7 minutes. Test for doneness with a fork. It should be tender, but firm enough to hold together.
4. Transfer to a bowl. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. (Note: research has shown that carotenoids are best absorbed when consumed with oils.)

Tips for enhancing the flavor:

1. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2. Add freshly chopped rosemary when tossing other ingredients
3. Add 1 Tbls of honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg
4. Sage and thyme are also great herbs to compliment butternut squash
5. Mashed Butternut Squash: Mash after steaming with 2 cloves of crushed garlic using a potato masher and serve in place of mashed potatoes. Or puree in a blender adding ginger or garam masala.
6. Squash and Rice: Mix the steamed squash with 4 cups of cooked brown rice or wild rice, 2 tsp grated orange peel, juice of 2 oranges and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries