When you live in the city, it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly what season it is. That’s what Starbucks limited edition drinks are for.

After I saw it was pumpkin spice latte season already, I knew it was time to start digging up old squash recipes. This recipe I’ve posted an annoying amount of times but still come back to again and again.

It’s one that I always make because I know how easy and delicious it is. Using curry powder to flavor the squash adds an untraditional kick that keeps the squash anything but boring. Still it’s familiar enough that semi-picky eaters will enjoy. 

You can really use this coating on any type but I prefer acorn the best for this since I think it has the mildest flavor. Butternut and winter squash tends to be sweeter on their own. 

Maple-Curry Acorn Squash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 1 Large acorn squash
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt*

*omit if your curry powder is already salted.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray
2. Cut the squash in half to remove all the seeds. Once de-seeded, cut along the ridges into thin wedges.
3. In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the maple syrup, curry powder, and salt so that the squash is evenly coated.
4. Lay the squash out on the baking tray and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
5. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Stonyfield recently asked their Clean Plate Club members to help them with their latest challenge to squash pesticides out of diets with healthy squash recipes. All of Stonyfield’s yogurts are organic with no GMO or pesticides in the ingredients

Truthfully I don’t buy organic as much as I should, especially organic fruits or vegetables whose skin I usually eat. Living near an organic-only grocery store has gotten me into the habit of buying more organic. Maybe going all organic all the time can be unreasonable in today’s lifestyle, but focusing on making small changes every time you go to the grocery store makes it easy.

Using greek yogurt in this casserole makes the dish a little lighter but just as creamy and adds a slight tang to the flavor. Use whatever your favorite herbs are whether that’s basil, rosemary, dill or a mix.

Low-Fat Butternut Squash Casserole

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 90 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 8 servings):

• 2 medium-sized organic butternut squashes
• 1 6oz container plain Stonyfield Greek
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon dried herbs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 ounces herbed goat cheese(optional)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
2. Prepare the squashes by removing the skin, stem, and seeds or roasting them whole and waiting to do this.
3. Roast the squash for 45 minutes to an hour until it is soft and easy to poke with a fork.
4. Move the squash to a big bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until it forms an even batter.
5. Pour the squash puree into a casserole dish. Level out the top.
6. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until a light crust forms and the squash is baked through.
7. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Top with goat cheese or fresh herbs if desired.

When it comes to food, there are two things I care about: Most importantly how it tastes, but also how it smells. A lot of people will tell you we eat with our eyes, but given how close are taste receptors and smell receptors are, it’s no question that there’s a link between taste and smell. Good food must smell good. And this smells terrific.

When I opened up my oven after this had finished cooking, the entire kitchen smelled like Christmas. You know that warm, earthy familiar smell that’s a bit nutty and complex. I got distracted for a moment and forgot that this was food to eat. The taste is just as good; the soft, sweet squash contrasts the crunchy, spicy chickpeas, and the maple syrup forms a glaze over the whole thing bringing it together. I can’t recommend this recipe enough to get a taste of the season. 

Roasted Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas And Squash

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 70 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 2 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all of the ingredients together in a big bowl and mix them until the wet ingredients and spices cover the squash and chickpeas.
3. Lay the squash and chickpeas out on a baking tray and spread them out keeping it as close to one layer as possible.
4. Roast for 70 minutes until the squash is fork-tender and the chickpeas slightly nutty.
5. Serve hot or cold. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Now if only someone would invent smell-o-vision, maybe I could better convince you.

It’s gotten to the time of year when I’m in denial that Summer’s gone. I’ve had a week full of midterm exams and now there’s talk of snow. SNOW. I’ve still got a marathon to run next month; I can’t begin to think about running across slippery pavement again. So I’m doing the totally normal thing about it all and going into denial.

When the seasons change I find so do our taste buds usually. I’ve started to like earthier tasting foods like cinnamon in banana quinoa bakes, nutmeg in mashed squash, and candy corn in just about everything else. This week though I’ve looked back to Summer for more spicy and bright flavors like the chili and lime on this squash. Maybe it’s a little “off” to put lime on squash but there isn’t exactly anything right about snow on Halloween and the butternut here has just a mellow enough flavor to highlight the seasonings.

Chili Lime Butternut Squash

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• Trunk(i.e. the part without seeds in the center) from a medium butternut squash
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice, plus more for finishing
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray.
2. Cut the squash down the middle into two semi-circle halves. Slice each half across into 1/2-inch wedges.
3. Toss the wedges with olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, and salt until covered.
4. Lay the wedges out in a single layer on the baking tray and roast for 40 minutes until a fork easily passes through.
5. Finish with an extra touch of lime juice.

As if I couldn’t be more confused, I’m listening to Bing Crosby Christmas music as I write this. What can I say? It’s been a long week and I’m starting to think Summer ain’t coming back.

Now is my favorite time of the year, for food at least. I love pumpkin, squash, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes—basically anything starchy that looks like baby food. Naturally I was excited to see local squash at the farmers’ market last week and picked out the biggest, most obscene looking butternut squash I could find.

Like I said, this is basically glorified baby food: Smooth squash puree mixed with amber maple syrup, rich cream, and nutty spices. It’s reminiscent of a pie filling but without the overpowering sweetness so you can feel good about eating this with dinner. It’s definitely a new favorite that I’ll probably turn to time and time again the next few months; it’s good enough that I’d invite it to the Thanksgiving table!

Baked Butternut Squash Mash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 3 cups butternut squash puree*
• 1/2 cup almond cream(recipe below) or regular cream or other non-dairy cream
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

*This is easy to make yourself. Roast a medium-sized butternut squash until the inside is soft. Scoop the flesh out from the skin and puree it in a food processor until smooth.

For the almond cream:

• 3 Tablespoons smooth almond butter
• 5 Tablespoons water

Method:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter and water until it forms a rich and smooth liquid.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
2. Stir together the butternut squash puree, cream, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until completely combined.
3. Scoop the squash into a large casserole dish or individual ramekins. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the squash is heated through and the top has goldened slightly and begun to crack.
4. Garnish with cinnamon and serve hot.

There were no leftovers, but I figured a picture of a half-eaten bowl was better than an empty bowl.

Now what other squash can I find?