Baked Parmesan Winter Squash
Thanksgiving may be over but the winter produce is in no short supply. Whether you have leftover veggies or find yourself in Trader Joe’s every day checking out their seasonal products, cooking during the holidays is a must. Winter officially starts December 21 but there is no way I’m waiting that long to start using it on my blog so in my book, December 1 is Winter. WINTER IS HERE!
It is incredibly easy to become unhealthy this month because let’s face it, it’s cold, always dark, there is food practically everywhere and literally wine always. For each of these things try to find a way to positively counteract it to ensure you stay on track. When it’s cold? Go workout and warm yourself up. When it’s dark? Go find a high energy exercise that fills you with light (kinda cheesy but just go with it). When there is food everywhere? Start meal prepping and making your own healthy versions of classic holiday meals – like the one listed below. When you want wine? Well…still working on how to avoid that one, for now let’s go with “everything in moderation”.
The recipe below is a simple holiday dish that gives off the “comfort food” taste without all the carbs. I would have loved to use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan for an even healthier meal but I was in my hometown and had to make do with what was in the kitchen (and there is no denying how delicious parmesan is). I used a mix of two different kinds of squash: butternut and delicata (a.k.a winter squash). Delicata is awesome because you can leave the skin on, it adds a tasty flavor, and looks beautiful! They are an excellent source of immune-supportive vitamin A and C, contains high amounts of potassium, and dietary fiber. Stay tuned for a cauliflower crust, pesto veggie pizza recipe next week!
Baked Parmesan Winter Squash
Serves: 6 people as a side
- 2 delicata squash
- 1 large butternut squash
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 thyme, chopped
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 leeks, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Coat the bottom of the baking dish with 2 tbsp olive oil. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed the butternut squash; cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. For the delicata squash, simply slice the same (no need to peel). Arrange the slices in the baking dish overlapping slightly, add salt and pepper as you go.
- In a saucepan, add the garlic, chopped leeks, 2 tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-10 minutes stirring slowly until the leeks are clear. Once done, add this mixture to the top of the squash coating them evenly.
- In a large bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and thyme then sprinkle over the squash.
- Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm.
