Maple and Cinnamon Acorn Squash

Recipe by: Michele Urvater | from Monday to Friday Cookbook

Cookstr

Course: Side Dish, Vegetable

Total Time: Under 2 Hours

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Inexpensive

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

I’ve sustained so many little knife nicks trying to split recalcitrant acorn squash in half that I now bake them whole. After baking, I halve them, scoop out the seeds, and season with butter, maple syrup, or honey and a dash of cinnamon. Although they take longer to cook this way, I no longer cut myself and, at the same time, I preserve more of their flavor.

By the way, don’t be alarmed by slight popping sounds you’ll hear from the oven. It’s simply the steam building up in the squash and then escaping. Rest assured that if you’ve pricked your squashes before baking, they won’t explode.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 acorn squash, about 1 pounds each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Butter (optional)
Maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey
Ground cinnamon, allspice, or mace

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Scrub the squash, place them on a baking sheet, and prick each one in several places with a sharp knife.

3. Bake until tender, about 1 hour.

4. Remove the squash from the oven, cut them in half (use a towel to hold them), and scoop out the seeds. Season each cavity with salt and pepper, butter if you wish, a teaspoon of the sweetener of your choice, and a sprinkling of spice.

Notes

Doubling Up:

Squash: You can cook twice as many squash and have lovely vegetable leftovers to stir into a soup or stew or to reheat in a stir-fry. You also can reheat any seeded and seasoned squarh halves, covered with foil, in a 350°F degree oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information is based on 1/4 teaspoon added salt, and does include optional butter.

Calories 107kcal (5%)

Calcium 78mg (8%)

Vitamin C 25mg (41%)

Vitamin A 40mcg RAE (1%)

Potassium 783mg

Magnesium 72mg

Protein 2g

Sugar 4g

Fiber 3g