Butternut Squash you are my nemesis

[MerlinsBeard]

Does anyone else have foods that they just cannot cook?

For me its mashed potato and butternut squash. I can occasionally manage a nice tasty none lumpy mash but butternut squash is a nightmare!

When DS2 was weaning i could never peel the biggers so when one arrived in my veg box i was a bit terrified tbh. ds3 is weaning so rather than waste it i would roast it (as per advice on a nother thread) nearly burnt the flipping thing and ended up pureeing it with loads of milk

Tell me i am not the only freak!!

[EyeballsintheSky]

I pureed one for dd. I detested cooking the bugger and she wouldn't touch it with a shitty stick so it lies in the freezer unloved.

But get a potato ricer. Lumpy mash is a thing of the past!

[WilfSell]

Oh god it is delicious though.

Roast whole then chop up for last 15 mins, covered in olive oil, then just eat the peel too! Was a revelation to me to find you could.

Peel off for babies though. is so soft you can just give it them in chunks.

I love it. Is also delicious with mint and honey dressing.

[WilfSell]

In fact one of DS1's favourite saturday night dinners is roast chicken thighs/legs and roast BN squash as above. nowt else. Yummy.

[TheNaughtiestGirlKeepsaSecret]

So hard to peel those buggers. Usually end up with a plaster on my hand for four days. Hand still sore long after the butternut squash eaten and forgotten.

[cafebistro]

Mmmm I love butternut squash! I just cut it up into inch squares and roast it in olive oil in a dish. ( can also do shallots, carrots etc). Delish!!

[CantSleepWontSleep]

How can you burn it - it will cook happily for ages?! Was your oven temp too high?
Try wrapping in tin foil before roasting to be even more failsafe.

[WilfSell]

No - DON'T peel until cooked. Really.

[seeker]

Make soup. Mmmmmmmm. The only good thing about winter.

[fourlittlefeet]

exactly. cut in half with bread knife and shove in oven (sitting on baking paper as it sticks to your pans), cut side up for 45 mins to an hour. Then cut in chunks like avocado and scoop out.

you can actually eat the skin once its cooked too so if you scrub it then cut into chunks and put into curries etc direct, its fine.

re lumpy mash; cook your potatoes that much longer/use a fluffier variety.

[WilfSell]

The roasted skin is lovely when crispy.

[MerlinsBeard]

i had the oven really really high!(250)

If i actually liked squash it would have been funny!

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[JRocks]

This recipe is amazing - although not necessarily great on the waistline

[MerlinsBeard]

and it was in for nearly 2 hours because i completely forgot(what with screamy ds3 and really tired ds2!)

[CantSleepWontSleep]

No - if you cut in half then don't put cut side up! Put cut side down and pour a little olive oil over (and again cover pan with foil if you are prone to burning stuff).

[lovecamping]

ds loves this receipe from Tana Ramsey.
you need risotto rice, veg stock, butter, cheese (parmesan if u want).

put the rice into an ovenproof dish,
cut about 1oz og butter into cubes and place ontop of the rice,
peel and cut the butternut squash into cm cubes then also add,
make up some veg stock and pour over the rice & butter until its about 1cm above the level of the rice,
cover with foil and put into the oven, 180C for about 25 mins.
Then check the rice if too dry then add some boiled water and back into oven until until cooked to desired texture (mine like it really soft).
once cooked, stir in the cheese and then serve.

the butternut squash is flavoured and cooked.

alternative, Nigella receipe.

cut the square into large chunks, mix with oil, cooked in oven at 220c for 30-45 mins, then sprinkle with blue cheese and some chopped nuts!!!

hope that helps and good luck

[SmugColditz]

It's a piece of piss and very delicious.

And this from someone who had a celeriac in her fridge for 4 months, taunting her.

Serve it with pork, peel with proper knife, chop into chunks, and roast in meat juices for 45 minutes. Bingo

[MerlinsBeard]

you see, no one is telling me their food enemies....am i the only one who struggles with particular foods??!!

[bundle]

don't peel it! it's really hard before it's cooked and potentially hazardous

much easier to scoop after cooking - or just eat the skin, it's fine

[boogeek]

I can do BN squash but I cannot do mashed potato so I feel your pain there. I don't understand it: I am generally a good competent cook but mash defeats me.

[fourlittlefeet]

Kale. last pregnancy it used to jump all by itself out of my veg box and into the bin

[bundle]

kale is nasty

on the other hand chard is king...

i'm not great with cakes, or anything that involves flour. except maybe pancakes

[lovecamping]

i cant cook beetroot, radish, rubard, cabbage and thats from the top of my head.

you are definitely not the only one ... cant cook crab or lobster either ...

[Lubyloo]

I struggle to peel it too but it is worth it for this lovely soup. Low fat and very tasty, cheap and filling. It freezes well too.

[fourlittlefeet]

having said that, now have a tolerable kale recipe so less frightened. You chop it up small, blanch it and mix it with cheese sauce. then break eggs into the mix and bake. nice and cheap and tasty. it surprised me.