Saturday, October 06, 2007

Squash and Pumpkin Recipes




White Baby Pumpkins can be interchanged with winter squash in most any dish.

Summer Squash and Winter Squash are different in texture and taste.
Most Summer Squash can be cooked with the skin because it is tender and thin.

Winter Squash however is thick and the skin will usually be tough and somewhat bitter to the taste. The seeds are bigger and will need to be removed.

Some favorites of ours:

You can use left-over baked squash in this soup or start with fresh or frozen Winter squash.

(Winter Squash Soup)

5 cups cubed raw squash or 3 cups cooked
2-1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp real salt
1 tsp basil
1 cup dried skim milk
1 tbsp torula yeast
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 lb fresh spinach-optional

If using raw squash or pumpkin, cook it in the broth until tender.
Blend or puree the cooked squash and put it in your soup pot to heat.

Saute'the onion in the oil, add parsley and cook just until hot and wilted.
Add onion, parsley, and all other seasonings to the squash.

Remove a cup of the soup and put it into the blender.Add the milk powder and yeast, blending until smooth. Pour back into the pot and simmmer for 10 to 20 minutes. ( Do Not Boil)

For a lighter soup with a satiny texture, you may omit the milk.

Spinach and squash/pumpkin are the best of friends.
Add fresh spinach chopped into small pieces just before end of cooking time.

This will serve 6 to 8 people.
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(Squash Bisque) ( A New Orleans flavor)

1/2 cup fresh, real butter
1 large onion
2 med. size potatoes, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
4 cups fresh or 2 packages frozen(defrosted) yellow squash
1 quart chicken stock ( homemade if possible)
1 tbsp real salt> (Or 2 tbsp of Sage Hill Farms Cajun blend.)
1/4 tsp cayenne>
1 cup cream
paprika

Melt butter, saute' onion. Add vegetables, stock, salt and pepper.
Cook on med heat, covered, until tender(about45 min)

Puree in blender-1/2 at a time.
Return to pot and add cream, check sesoning.

Sprinkle with paprika just before serving.
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Squash Pecan Casserole

2 pounds yellow squash, cooked
1/4 tsp Stevia or 2 tso sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 stick butter
salt to taste (or Sage Hill Farms Vegetable blend)
buttered cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 400*
Mix all ingredients except nuts and crumbs.
Pour into a large buttered casserole dish
Top with nuts and cracker crumbs
Bake for 20 min. at 400*

Serves from 10 to 12 people
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Bea's Shrimp and Squash Casserole

12 to 15 yellow squash
Bacon drippings or 1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1/2 small bell pepper, chopped
3/4 stick of real butter
1-1/2 to 2 pounds boiled shrimp-small to med. size
4 to 6 slices of fresh bread
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste(or Sage Hill Farms Cajun Blend)
2 eggs

Pre-heat oven to 325*

Slice squash in 1/2" rounds and smother in bacon drippings.
Add onion and bell pepper while squash is cooking down.
(Add a small amount of hot water if needed to avoid sticking.)
Add butter and shrimp after squash mixture is "mushy" consistency and water has cooked out.
Toast the bread and wet it with a small amount of water. Break into small pieces and add to mixture.
Add seasonings and thenbeat the eggs and add.
Grease a large casserole dish, pour in mixture, sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter.
Bake about 45 min.

Serves about 8

5 comments:

Jane Carroll said...

Bea,

These recipes sound so good...I can almost smell them cooking! Thanks for sharing new ways to cook our old favorites!

A Flower in God's Garden said...

Ditto! I am salivating just thinking about how yummy your squash recipies sound!

Unknown said...

Looking back over these recipes with a new eye, I think I will try making the squash soup for my mother and I when I host her for Thanksgiving dinner and the weekend. Just us two so we can try this delish stuff without hearing groans from the kids!

A Flower in God's Garden said...

Just wondering--does Spaghetti Squash count as a summer or winter squash?

BeaK. said...

Hi Jessica,

Spaghetti squash would classify more as a winter squash. While they can be found year-round now in supermarkets, their real peak time is early fall through the winter.

True spaghetti squash is a pale ivory to pale yellow, but in the late 1990's an orange squash was developed called "Orangetti" this has almost taken the place of the true spaghetti squash..it is what you will most often find in the markets.

The best way to cook them is by cutting open, scooping out the seed, covering with foil and baking in the oven until the flesh is tender and soft, boiling the spaghetti squash tends to make it mushy.

Good to hear from you, a special hug to the little one, and to mommy!

Happy Holidays Jessica, to you and your family.