Let's Play Butternut Squash

Hats off to one of my all time fave veggie sides! Wait; hats ON (it's cold out there❄️). Butternut squash is a weekly staple in my home. It is a regular Friday night dinner side dish, as well as dinner for me once a week. I've really been losing the taste and desire for meat and chicken lately. I have been having a hard time thinking about my food having been in pain. I very much believe God created animals for our use, ya know; the whole circle of life thing, but I feel myself pulling away from it. Who knows if this will stick, but that's my headspace now. I did do this once before. When I was pregnant with my oldest, meat made me nauseous. Crying nauseous. Close to delivery, my iron levels were low so my doc prescribed red meat. It took one hot dog to reel me back in to carnivore city🌭.

This is different though. Pregnancy does crazy things with our bodies. We have negative control. My current shift is more mental, I'm just not interested. There is no appeal. I'm still gobbling my daily egg whites, and I loooove the roasted red pepper egg white bites  from StarSchmucks, but my egg quota fills up in the morning. I end my day by roasting vegetables for myself, and that feels like a nice, clean way to end my day's digestive journey. This JESScipe always hits the spot.

I've started roasting the squash with coconut oil instead of the usual olive oil. Coconut oil has a subtle sweetness, and it eliminates toxins. My daughter thinks toxins are a myth, by the way. It's hard for me to prove the point on behalf of something invisible🙃... Delicious vegetables are gifts from the ground. They need so little to taste wonderfully satisfying. God knew what He was doing👏🏻.

All this b-Nut needs is coconut oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt , fine ground pepper, cinnamon and dried or fresh rosemary. I use a generous amount of cinnamon. I've used packed dark brown sugar in the past, but it really doesn't need it. Happy to eliminate that.

Directions:

Preheat oven to roast at 415. Bake setting is fine, but roast caramelizes beautifully. Roast is also faster.

Peel and cut a large butternut squash into cubes or rounds. If you can find this pre cut, do it! Def a pain in the ass to prep yourself. I'm a bit of a spoiled princess with my pre cut vegetables. That's a luxury I afford myself. Makes this whole veggie endeavor much faster and more pleasant.

Melt a quarter to a third cup of coconut oil in the microwave or on stove top. Or, use the liquid version. It melts very quickly in the microwave, like 30 seconds. Pour on the squash.

Sprinkle salt and pepper, maybe a tsp and a quarter salt and three quarters of a tsp pepper. A heaping tsp of cinnamon. Tbsp dried or fresh chopped rosemary. I like it very cinnamon y. Add more seasonings as needed.

Mix all well and rub each piece to coat. Roast in a single layer until soft. Cubes will take longer than slices since they are thicker. Check slices after 15 minutes, cubes after 25. I like this very well done, browned, and mushy. However you prefer, it should be very easily pierced with a knife or fork🍴.

Overlap slices on a platter. Cubes can be plattered  densely together too. I always like to serve colorful vegetables on a white rectangular platter. The heat releases evenly. In a bowl, the bottom ones get steamed and suffocated. Garnish with fresh rosemary if you have. No biggie, but it looks pretty. So farm to table, even if you live in Midtown😂.

❤️, Lady Butternut 🍠(sub a sweet potato!)