Hi all, Time for candy good squash!

[snowbirdie]

Hi,
   Today Kris brought me a buttercup squash.  I put it in the microwave to soften the skin. I then peeled it and cut it into cubes  and placed in a baking dish. I then added 1/2 cup dark raisins and 1/4 cup dried blueberries. Stir this through squash . Then dot with smart balance margarine,(this is all that is available to me) . Put a piece of aluminum foil to cover the dish and put a few slits through the foil.It is very good and sweet without adding any additional sweetners. I think it was a little dry and I believe would be even better to add 1/2 cup of apple juice if you like a looser squash.
                            Judie

[pmilburn]

Sounds good - don't have any dried blueberriesbut maybe dried cranberries will be ok - I usually cook my butternut squash entirely in the micro - not sure how that will work with dried fruit but will probably try it - it might lose a little baked flavor, but I like "micro" baked fine.

[lulu65]

love buttercup squash.. not many people mention it on here...I love it just baked and mashed with butter and salt and pepper..Yummers..

[LINDA RN]

Hello, Lulu,
Great to see you back on the boards!

[Ginny M.]

Is it butterCUP or butterNUT squash?  I know what butternut squash is.  How is it cooked in the microwave?


Ginny

[jaydensmommy]

when you asked the question, I had to look it up.  Here's the definition of buttercup squash

Buttercup squash is a winter squash belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. Not to be confused with its cousin the butternut squash, the squat green buttercup takes its name from its shape, which some say resembles an upside-down acorn with an undersized cap.

The average buttercup squash is about 7 inches (17.5 centimeters) in diameter and weighs approximately 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms), though some individual specimens may grow to be over 5 pounds (2.7 kilograms).

The inedible rind of the buttercup squash is dark green striated with silvery gray lines. In some cultivars, a cap of paler green sits atop the squash at the blossom end. The buttercup’s dense flesh is dark yellow-orange, sometimes approaching a deeper reddish color. It is worth noting that the more intense the color, the more vitamin A the squash contains.

[Ginny M.]

This sounds like what I call "Acorn" squash.  Or is Acorn squash, again, another type of squash?


Ginny

[LINDA RN]

Acorn is a different but similar squash!

[crickadoodle]

Before LDL I probably would have never cared that much about trying all the different squashes -- but now I love to experiment.  I'd eaten zuchinni and yellow squash, but that was about it. 

[pmilburn]

Butternut squash is amoung my "treasures" I have discovered trying to eat more vegetables.  Love vegetables that keep well and this one does - just sits there on top of my fridge waiting on me - great replacement for sweet potatoes and so easy.  Just poke it about 5 time with a knife to keep it from exploding then cook in micro until it begins to soften - let cool a bit until you can handle it.  I peel mine with a knife and scoop out the seeds.  Then return it to micro if it isn't soft yet until it is soft enough to mash easily.  Then I add a bit of splenda, s and p, and a touch of ICBINB.  Leftovers keep well.  It makes a great replacement for constant carrots -another yellow veggie!!!!