HERBED WINTER SQUASH

I never liked squash very much. Every time I tasted it, it was smothered in sugar. Then, one time when I was in St. Lucia, we were invited to someone's home for dinner. (Guy commuted to St. Lucia for 10 years as a subcontractor to Cable & Wireless, so he knew just about everyone who worked on the island for C&W). This person served us herbed winter squash, and it was delicious. I never did ask her for the recipe, I just tried to make it myself when I got home. The photo at the top shows it cooked in the Corningware Grab-it bowl. As you can see, there's not much there -- it's hard to cook for one. Guy is not a vegetable eater. He still thinks corn and french fries count as vegetables. Following is a recipe for 2-4 people, depending on appetites:

Herbed Winter Squash


INGREDIENTS: 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh onion
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 cups roasted butternut squash and/or pumpkin (see my previous post on
roasted pumpkin and butternut squash)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano (or a mixture)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS: In 1-1/2 quart saute' pan, over medium-low heat, cook onion until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute or so, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the cooked squash and seasonings and cook till heated through, or transfer to an oven-proof dish and bake at 400 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Note: If you do not have any roasted squash in your freezer, then wash and peel a butternut squash and cut it into small cubes. Toss it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F. for about 20 minutes, or till it is cooked through and begins to brown. (Alternately, you can halve the squash, remove the seeds, and place cut side down on tinfoil, and roast at 400 for about 1 hour or till it tests done when pierced with a fork. Then you can scoop the flesh out or cut it into pieces after removing the skin, as you prefer.) Either method works -- just remember to cut the salt and pepper if you use the first method. Roasting the squash is, in my opinion, better than boiling it, because roasting deepens the flavor. But, in fairness, you can also boil the squash if you prefer.