Sweet and Spicy Delicata Squash

I love Delicata Squash.  It’s so perfect and even better, it’s so easy.  The fact that I can cut through it, with just a tiny bit of muscle AND that you can eat the skin is a game changer!  I’ve wrestled with its sisters, the butternut squash, the acorn, the spaghetti and nothing makes me happier than to do less work in the kitchen while getting some great results!

You may have overlooked this gem in your grocery store!  I don’t think I’d heard of it until maybe 10 years ago, now I see it everywhere, even Trader Joe’s carries it.

Some recipes will tell you to slice while it’s whole so you end up with circles, this is a great way to do it, but when I’m cooking for 10 or 15 I can’t de-seed each slice, so I need to speed it up!  I cut the entire squash in half, scrape the seeds out and then cut into 1/2 inch half circles.

Next take a red onion and slice that up in fairly large pieces, they will shrink when you roast them with the squash.  Now the satisfying part, throw all that into a large bowl, add garlic, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, chili powder and cayenne pepper.  Mix and lay it out on a cookie sheet, try your best to do a single layer, don’t crowd the pan because the edges of the squash should get a little roasty-crispy.  YUM!  425 degrees for 25-35 min.  Check on them every 10 minutes and shake the pan/mix them around.

Voila!  Done!  Amazing!  I brought this a party the other night and three people asked me for the recipe!

The logistics:  I am a non-measurer in the kitchen, so here’s the loose logistics for 2 servings.

• Delicata Squash, 1 squash
• Red Onion, 1/2 a large
• Garlic, 2 cloves
• Olive Oil, coat it nicely, that’s all.
• Maple Syrup, nearly not as much as olive oil, just enough to bring out the sweetness!
• Salt, more than you think on this one, but you can always add later so don’t overdo it either.
• Pepper, actually not too much, remember you’ve got some other spices too that will steal the show.
• Chili Powder, I did a fair amount on this one, but don’t turn everything red!
• Cayenne Pepper, just a little tiny bit, like less than an 1/8 tsp.

That’s it, have fun, cook intuitively, enjoy the result!

In Health, Christina