by Chana Citron

If your sweet tooth is keeping you from sticking to your New Year’s resolution, take heart. There are ways to satisfy your craving while still eating healthy. What’s the secret? Try a winter squash. With more than 15 varieties to choose from, you won’t get bored sampling this satisfying food, and you’ll be right in step with the latest trend to eat locally grown and seasonal produce. Whether you go for pumpkin or banana squash, this sweet, orange-fleshed veggie is an excellent source of beta-carotene—a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which can help lower cholesterol and reduce your risks of cancer, heart attacks and stroke. It also rates high in vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, and even folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin B6, and niacin, further fortifying your fight against disease. In other words, it’s a super food. So go ahead and indulge your sweet tooth—with a winter squash.

For easy preparation, try baking or steaming:

1. The butternut squash, or other softer squashes, can be peeled, seeded, cubed and baked with a little olive oil, sea salt, cumin and a dash of cayenne pepper. For extra sweetness, drizzle some olive oil or melted butter on top, along with some cinnamon and a bit of maple syrup before baking.
2. For harder skinned squashes, such a the buttercup, hubbard, kabocha or delicata, pierce the squash near the stem with a knife to allow any steam to escape, then bake it a 350°F for 45 minutes to an hour, until a knife can be inserted easily near the stem. Then cut off the base near the stem, scoop out the seeds out and peel. You can then season and enjoy mashed or sliced.
3. Kids really love the spaghetti squash. Its stringy texture substitutes well for pasta and makes for a far healthier dish. You can cut off the two ends, cut in half lengthwise, and then bake with a little oil, cut side down. About 45 minutes later, remove the seeds, and scoop out the “spaghetti” strands. Your favorite pasta sauce makes a perfect topping.

For soup, try this recipe that works with firm or soft squash. The only difference in preparation is you’ll have to bake the harder skinned squashes before peeling, seeding and cubing them. And because they’ll be cooked, you’ll add them to the soup last. Either way, you’ll wind up with a creamy soup with plenty of zing–thanks to the spices–that will warm you on the coldest day. Enjoy.

Squash Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, halved, washed well and thinly sliced, or 1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ piece ginger, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon each of salt, ground turmeric, and ground cumin

1 teaspoon (or less to taste) of ground cayenne pepper

4 carrots, sliced

1 turnip, cubed

1 winter squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

6- 8 cups water or vegetable broth

Optional: 2 tablespoons butter and/ or ½ cup milk or rice milk

Directions:

1. 1. Heat a large pot on high for 5 minutes, reduce heat to medium, and add oil. When oil is heated, add leek or onion, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt and spices. Mix well for about 2 minutes.
2. Then add all the vegetables–except for the squash, if you’ve baked it. Mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Raise temperature to high, add water or broth, and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. If you baked the squash, add it now. Adjust seasoning.
4. Optional: Add the butter and/ or milk and puree with an immersion blender for a creamy finish.