Butternut Squash Roasted in Coconut Oil
Talk about a maligned and shunned vegetable! I’ve been walking by this golden beauty in my grocery store for decades. I thought they just looked like massively large peanuts.
We ate acorn squash in my family. We didn’t venture past the big green acorn to try out other options. I’ve totally missed the flavor and health benefits of this beautiful vegetable for way too long. Now I’m a huge fan.
Butternut Squash. Let’s start with a little history lesson...
Butternut Squash Roasted in Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is amazing stuff. Order online or buy it in a gourmet grocery. Some grocery stores carry it in the international section. It will look like shortening. It is nothing like Crisco but it is shelf-stable, white, and in a jar. When warmed, coconut oil melts and looks like clear oil. Coconut oil is very good for you and the taste lends just the right amount of sweetness without going overboard. You can use coconut oil in lots of recipes. When you want a hint of sweetness reach for coconut oil.
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash. I try to look for the ones with the longest necks. The longer neck means you get plenty of squash flesh without having work around the seeds and fibrous part
1/2 C coconut oil
Instructions:
Peel your squash. I use a regular vegetable peeler. Cut off each end. Be careful. Cutting squash can be dangerous.
Cut the non-fibrous portions of the squash into one half to one inch cubes. Put them into an oven-proof pan. Try to use a pan big enough for all the cubes to sit without too much crowding.
Add the coconut oil. Stir it around. If the coconut oil is hard, don’t worry. As the coconut oil warms in the oven you can bring the pan back out and stir the cubes around and coat them in the oil.
Sprinkle with grated sea salt.
Roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour. I turn mine at the 30-minute point. I also like mine to get browned on the edges. The longer they are in there the more caramelized they get and the sweeter they will be.
This is ONE dish that tempts me to nibble at it even before I put it on the plates. You can catch me popping a cube in my mouth while I’m stirring a sauce that goes with the entrée. It’s THAT good.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola
