Is It a Side or a Dessert??? Butternut Squash Casserole

I have never been a big fan of squash. Therefore, I avoid it. Now that we have fresh produce delivered weekly from local farms, I am branching out in my cooking. I am trying to make at least one new recipe a week using the produce (I realize one recipe a week doesn't sound like much, but we now have a newborn at home, along with a 21 month old; life's a little hectic!) :)

By the way, I am no longer dairy-free (thank goodness!!!), and I am slowly easing back into eating normally. Two months was long enough. Normal eating = a much happier mommy!

I surfed around on allrecipes.com to see how to prepare the butternut squash that was sitting in my kitchen. I needed a general idea on how to begin, and then I wanted to come up with something yummy to do with it. This is what I did...

Ingredients

1 butternut squash peeled, cubed, boiled, and pureed in the food processor (I used 2 cups for the casserole, and froze one cup in an ice cube tray for baby Emily's dinner once she is eating solids)


1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 T pumpkin pie spice (you can also use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, focusing mostly on the cinnamon and nutmeg, with small amounts of the other two)
2 T whole wheat flour
1/4 stick butter

Topping
1/2 stick butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
(I also tossed in two crumbled up Trader Joe's graham crackers, but if you don't have them on hand, don't worry about it)

Prepare the squash by peeling it, removing the seeds, cubing it, and boiling the cubes for about 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Place the squash cubes into a food processor, and let them sit for a while to cool. I waited about an hour, but if you need them to cool faster, spread them out on a plate or cookie sheet. Puree the cubes in a food processor, or mash really well with a fork or spoon.

Blend the milk, 1/4 stick of butter (melted), squash, and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin pie spice, flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine the two bowls into one, and mix well. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 (or similar) greased baking dish.



Mix the 1/2 stick of melted butter, the chopped pecans, and the brown sugar in a small bowl, and layer on top of the squash.

Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.


We had it as a side with meatloaf for dinner, but Dan and I both agree it could have easily been a dessert. I think I'll be taking it to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy!

Banana Bread With a (Spinach/Flax/Pecan) Twist!

It's hard to create a recipe that is really, truly healthy and extremely tasty at the same time. But I have to say, I may have done it with this one! :)

Audrey, my former fabulously non-picky one year-old, has now become Audrey, my typical toddler, when it comes to eating. One day she loves sweet potatoes, the next day she hates them. One day she can't get enough cheese, the next day she throws it at our dog.

So, I am constantly looking for ways to combine a lot of healthy ingredients into one yummy dish that she will devour. (Just last week I added a ton of spinach to my spaghetti pie, and she gobbled it up!)

It turns out, she is in love with this recipe (for now!), so I am satisfied that she is getting a balanced meal as she eats it. ***Like all recipes containing nuts, be sure to pick out any large chunks/pieces before feeding to a toddler.***

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick (or 1/4 cup) butter
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2/3 cup plain organic low fat yogurt
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
4 T ground flaxseed
3 large bananas (or 4 small/medium ones)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I ran out of walnuts, and the pecans were a great sub!)

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and set aside. In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), blend the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the eggs. Beat for a minute or so, then add the yogurt and vanilla and continue to blend on medium speed.



While blending on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Finally, sprinkle in the flax seed, then add the bananas and pecans, and lightly mix until just combined.

Pour into a greased (I use spray canola oil) bread pan, and bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes. Check with a toothpick or knife after 45 minutes to see if it's done. Enjoy!