Like most people, I may not be willing to try new stuff or create a new dish when I am busy. It would be too much trouble when the time is tight. Couple of years ago, I decided to learn a new dish whenever I have a break. I got a couple of days off around Thanksgiving and I decided to learn a few new dishes. I made butternut squash and apple pie Both kind of semi-failed. LOL. The apple pie turned out to be too sour. It looked good, but not too edible. The butternut squash was edible but a bit chunky! I asked around. My coworker told me that I can steam it instead of bake. So I tried the second time, and it was a success. I should really make this dish more often because butternut squash contains tons of Vitamin A which is really good for vision. My vision is definitely getting worse as I use my computer all day long. Hey, I have no choice, that is my job. Anyway, I like to make butternut squash as a side dish for meatloaf because the cooking time of these two dishes are pretty much the same. I made these two again tonight. It was yummy in my tummy
Steaming Butternut Squash
Super Yummy Butternut Squash
Ingredients (3-4 servings):
- Butternut squash, 1 medium/small
- Honey, 1 Tbsp
- sugar, 1 tsp
- Nutmeg, a dash
- Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp
- Salt, a dash (optional)
- Butter, 1/2 tsp (optional)
Steps:
- Cut the butternut squash in halves.
- Remove the seeds.
- Prepare a steamer. Add enough water to the pot (at least couple of inches high for water level) because we will steam the butternut squash for 45 minutes.
- Add the butternut squash to the steamer. Use medium high heat. Cover it with a lid and steam it for 45 minutes. Check occasionally to see if you have enough water in the pot. Add more water if needed. DO NOT burn the pot. I made this mistake before!
- Remove the butternut squash from the pot when it is done. Be careful, it is super hot!
- Use a spoon, scoop off the meat and place it in a big bowl. Discard the skin.
- Add the following to the squash: honey, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt (optional) and butter (optional). Mix it well. Since it is steamed, it may have a little bit of water in the bowl after mixing it, you can use a spoon to scoop off excess water.
Optional step: The texture so far should be very soft. If you like it to be more dense, you can put it in a 375F oven for 25 minutes or so. I did not add this extra step tonight, see the picture. It turned out pretty good as is.