Acorn Squash

This pretty little acorn squash just looks like fall to me. I am trying to incorporate some new seasonal veggies while I’m trying to avoid all my favorite carbs, so I thought I’d give a new squash a try. Acorn squash you are up!

My husband is pretty good about accepting my tour off the beaten path of our usual rotation of vegetable side dishes, but I try to make sure I have something he really likes when I take my veggie detour. This meal included grilled tri tip, broccolini and roasted acorn squash with rosemary butter.

This was pretty easy to prepare – you just create a flavored butter and smear it all over a sliced up squash and throw it in the oven, with very little attention needed. I thought I would have to figure out how to peel this thing, but every recipe I looked through did not say to do so. I just cut it in half, pulled out the pulp from this tiny pumpkin wanna be, and sliced it up. Here’s the flavored butter I created to brush on it:

• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 teaspoon of rosemary salt (or use 1/2 tsp dried rosemary and 1/2 tsp salt)
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• a few turns of cracked black pepper

Heat the over to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan. Put the squash on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the squash with all the butter mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes on one side. Flip to the other cut side, brush with butter from the sheet and bake 15-20 minutes more.

I think I’ve stayed away from fall squash because it tends to be on the sweet side. This was a good balance for the whole meal, since it went well against the garlicy tri tip and the slightly bitter broccolini. I must say I did like this for a change from my standard corn, green beans and broccoli sides. I can sometimes get in a rut with those standards. It’s a little caramelized in spots which gives it some texture, and the rosemary and chili powder kept it from being overly sweet. Give it a try…it’s an easy seasonal veggie to add to your side dish rotation, at least for the fall. Enjoy!