Butternut Squash

[Mumble]

Ok - totally "off-topic" but anyway . . .

 

Given that I've survived "The Great Scottish Adventure" A.K.A. going away for a few days which most people manage without any thought or pallaver, I'm now working on expanding my cullinary experiences.

 

So today I bought a Butternut Squash - I liked the shape and feel of it (plus it was 1/2 price) even though it is a pale orangey colour and I don't do cooked orange things. The trouble is I have absolutely no idea what to do with it or even how to get into it!!!! :wacko:

 

I had a look on the web put it was all recipes for using it rather than just how to cook it as a vegetable I'd prefer to do it in the oven or microwave if I can as I need my saucepan and frying pan for the other things I bought. Any ideas??? (other than don't buy odd vegetables again just because they looked interesting )

[llisa32]

Hiya, peel it with a sharp knife, cut it into chunks like you would a potatoe, stick them in a measuring jug and make sure they are covered with water - boil in the measuring jug in the microwave for about 7/8 mins - depends on strength of the microwave, but once they are soft enough to stick a knife through it's done. Drain it then and mash with a little butter and some black pepper

 

Yum!! - be warned though it's really easy to overcook butternut squash...it then goes really runny so you may need a couple of go's before you get it how you like it in terms of consistency

[Mumble]

Thanks Lisa - sounds good - just three slight problems. I don't have a measuring jug, I don't have a masher (and no, I'm not going shopping again today - I hate shopping) and I don't have a sharp knife (hence why I was wondering how to get into it) - I have a normal knife, a veggie peeler (to skin vegetarians alive ) and a pizza slicer - any of them any use??!

[llisa32]

errrhhhh......NO ...if you try and break into that squash with any of those you'll prob loose a finger or end up throwing it at something to ease the frustration:)

 

Are there any cheapy shops near you? - if not any of the supermarkets should sell plastic measuring jugs - usually not much more than a pound.

 

You could mash it up with a fork and spoon, it's pretty soft once boiled

 

Do you have any sort of plastic beaker or large cup that you could boil a small amount in in the microwave? - is there a 'sharp' knife you could borrow? - I'm guessing not to that question cos don't think I'd leave a stash in student halls of residence!

 

If you can manage to cut it at least in half with the tools you do have, then scrape out the seed stuff from inside, stick a bit of butter on it, and shove in the oven for about 30 mins on around 180 degrees. you could then scrape it from the skin and eat! - at least you will then find out if you like the taste:)

[allie]

Mumble,

Another great way of doing butternut is to roast it. Again a sharp knife is needed butonce cut into cubes, they don't need to be too small, put them in a roasting tin, a bit of oil on them, and a bit of salt and pop them in the oven on about 180'. When soft they are ready, usualy about 30 - 45min!

 

If you like sweet food, in South Africa they often have sugar sprinkled over them or if you are mashing them sugar or syrup added.

Good luck!

[Mumble]

Thanks Lisa and Allie,

 

Well I'll see what I can find in the kitchen to break into it with (there are various implements lying around that I have no idea what you'd do with) and then I think I'll go for the roasting option. I'll have to replace the oil with butter as I don't have any oil - sugar sounds nice but I don't have any of that either (hmm, don't think I should be applying for Masterchef anytime soon), I think I have some pepper so I'll put a bit of that on it.

 

I'll let you know later tonight whether it's or

[Mumble]

[llisa32]

Hurrah! - you managed to find something to cut it open with then!

 

Glad you liked - it's one of my favs, it also nice to have with sweet potatoe and mash the two together

 

But you will need to arm yourself with a plastic jug to boil and a knife to chop!

[Tally]

I also have a butternut squash, a swede and a sweet potato in my fridge and don't know what to do with them. How did you cook yours, Mumble?

Edited September 3, 2007 by Tally

[Mumble]

I found a small sharp knife that had been left in the kitchen and cut through it lengthways (top to bottom). The outershell was quite hard and I nearly took a finger off so I think a bigger sharper knife would be good. I then scopped out the seeds and stringy bit with a spoon and but it skin side down on a baking sheet. I scored the flesh to help it cook, put a blob of butter in the hole where the seeds came out and ground a little black pepper over it. Then I put it in a hot oven (190 degrees) for ages till I was bored and hungry (about 40 minutes I think) and a knife easily went into it. I then ate it out of the skin (it was very hot) and it sort of mashed with the butter I'd put in it - yummy

 

Swede and sweet potato I do the same thing to - peel (you might need a knife to peel swede and make sure you cut any green bits off because they're poisonous I think), chop into cubeish shaped bits, boil till soft and then mash with butter and ground pepper. You can do then separately or together.

[hev]

Hiya, peel it with a sharp knife, cut it into chunks like you would a potatoe, stick them in a measuring jug and make sure they are covered with water - boil in the measuring jug in the microwave for about 7/8 mins - depends on strength of the microwave, but once they are soft enough to stick a knife through it's done. Drain it then and mash with a little butter and some black pepper

 

Yum!! - be warned though it's really easy to overcook butternut squash...it then goes really runny so you may need a couple of go's before you get it how you like it in terms of consistency

that sounds really easy,im gonna try that one

[allie]

Hey Mumble,

Glad you enjoyed it. Its a veg that is used loads in South Africa - where I'm from.

I love it, but I have had a few odd looks when I've served it at dinner parties over here - not that I was complaining, it left more for me!!!!!!

[pearl]

[Eva]

Hi Mumble,

 

over here we call it pumpkin and we make pumpkin soup - it's very yummy. I'm sure there's heaps of recipes on the net. Basically you chop it up into little chunks, put it in a pot with water and boil it. You should also add some stock - beef stockcube works well. Oh yes, before all of that you could chop an onion and garic, fry them first, then add the water and the pumpkin. When it's really really soft you can mash it up. Some people add a dollop of sour cream into the bowl just before eating it. You could also add more salt and pepper if you like.

 

Some people also make the soup using other veges, like a potato. Potato can thicken it up.

 

What we call a squash is a little funny-shaped yellow thing - it's usually a bit bitter. (Our friend Sojourned was quite amazed that we eat so much pumpkin. He said in the UK farmers use it for pig food).

 

Good on you Mumble - great work!

 

Eva

[Eva]

I just read you wanted to only use the microwave - whoops - forget the pumpkin soup!

Edited September 3, 2007 by Eva

[Mumble]

Thanks Eva,

 

I only wanted to use the oven/microwave last night because I'm a bit limited in kitchen equipment and had other things in my pan and frying pan. I could try soup at some time.

 

If you call a butternut squash a pumpkin, what do you call a pumpkin (the type that are carved and turned into pie for Halloween?)

[Eva]

Well, we have basically two types of pumpkins, the butternut one and the other one which no one knows the name of.

 

We call a courgette a zuchinni too!

 

Cheers,

Eva

[Tally]

What do you call an aubergine?

[MichelleW]

fry some smokey backon and chop up and blend it with the pumpkin soup (if you have a blender!Also try added some garlic puree with your mashed pumpkin if you have pumpkin. I'm not sure what it tastes like with butternut squash. I tend to cube and roast my butternut squash, or put half in the oven and bake.

 

 

For sweet potatoes, stab with a fork, wrap in kitchen towel and microwave ( about 8-10 mins for a big one). Then serve with grated cheese, or cheese, chopped tomato and basil!

[allie]

What do you call an aubergine?

 

We call an aubergine a bringle in south africa

[Eva]

We call aubergines eggplants. The smaller, thinner ones are called Lebanese eggplants.

 

I think you call green beans, haricots (unless I'm getting countries mixed up)?

 

We also call pudding, dessert. A pudding is an acutal pudding.

 

Funny isn't it!

[Kathryn]

I love butternut squash. In Zimbabwe we used to eat a lot of gem squash too, which is small and round (about the size of an orange) with yellow slightly stringy sweetish tasting flesh. Cut in half with loads of butter melting into it - and pepper. Yum. I'm not sure how to cook them though - my mum used to use the pressure cooker. (Anyone remember those?) It used to terrify me when it blew off steam.

 

K x

[pearl]

I've still got a pressure cooker! Great for soup.

[badonkadonk]

For sweet potatoes, stab with a fork, wrap in kitchen towel and microwave ( about 8-10 mins for a big one). Then serve with grated cheese, or cheese, chopped tomato and basil!

Just had a typical Aspie moment

So I read this and thought 'I didn't know you could put forks in the microwave!'

I envisaged sticking a fork into a sweet potato, wrapping the whole thing in kitchen towel (which I also read as meaning a tea-towel to begin with ) and sticking the lot in the microwave!!

 

It's no wonder I'm not allowed anywhere near the kitchen!

 

Emily

xxx

[TheNeil]

It's no wonder I'm not allowed anywhere near the kitchen!

Now that's a fib and you know it. You just need to fill in the appropriate paperwork, get it ratified by the European Court of Human Rights, have the GPs 'approve' you, write a 5000 word essay explaining why you need access to the kitchen...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...or just bribe the bad-tempered old chef

[badonkadonk]

Bad-tempered???

 

Old???

 

Me thinks somebody needs to come down off of cloud nine and stop being a big silly!

 

Sheesh, anybody who knows you knows that you are really very bad-tempered and very very old!!!

 

Emily

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Still love you though

[TheNeil]

Sheesh, anybody who knows you knows that you are really very bad-tempered and very very old!!!

Very very old?!?!?! Very bad tempered?!?!?!

 

Why you young whippersnapper. Just you wait until I slowly get out of this armchair and shuffle across the living room - then you'll feel the back of my walking stick. Old indeed...bah.

 

It's not my fault that I can remember ye days before electricty and manned spaceflight. Bring back old money, that's what I say (none of these fiddly 5p coins either)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Still love you too

[allie]

I love butternut squash. In Zimbabwe we used to eat a lot of gem squash too, which is small and round (about the size of an orange) with yellow slightly stringy sweetish tasting flesh. Cut in half with loads of butter melting into it - and pepper. Yum. I'm not sure how to cook them though - my mum used to use the pressure cooker. (Anyone remember those?) It used to terrify me when it blew off steam.

 

K x

 

Ahhh K, Gem's were my favourite we always had them in zim. With melted butter - can't beat it!!!

[Kathryn]

Ahhh K, Gem's were my favourite we always had them in zim. With melted butter - can't beat it!!!

 

You from Zim too then allie?

 

 

Pearl, I though the invention of the microwave had made pressure cookers obsolete. Never seen one since my childhood!

 

K x

[pearl]

You from Zim too then allie?

Pearl, I though the invention of the microwave had made pressure cookers obsolete. Never seen one since my childhood!

 

K x

Ooh no you can still get em. I use both, cant really make a huuuge vat of soup in a microwave.

*tiptoes quietly away to avoid disturbing loved-up Emily & Neil*

[Laz]

They are fantastic pumpkin like vegetables.

 

My father grew some back in 2005 and i ended up filling the boot of my car with some of them. If your a gardener they love acidic soil and if the conditions are just right for them the plants will spread everywhere!

 

They make fantastic potatoe substitutes and they are one of the most highly concentrated food to contain potassium. Perfect food for diabetics to help out the kidneys.

 

You can also make soups out of them they do take awhile to cook though but its very nice traditional winter food.

[bikergal]

Tried the roast butternut squash as per Mumble's instructions...mmm....delicious!

[Tally]

I ate mine in a stir fry. I sliced it really thin and put it in the pan before all the other things. I ate 1/4 each day, but the final 1/4 looked a bit dry so I didn't eat that, should have wrapped it in cling film maybe.