Small, round, with curly edges squash – one of the varieties of pumpkin. They are grown and cooked all over the world – stewed, fried, stuffed, salted and pickled. The taste of squash is versatile, soft and delicate, it goes well with many ingredients.
How to choose squash and prepare them for cooking
When choosing squash, give preference to fruits of the correct shape, without spots and dents. If you are going to buy squash in order to stuff in the future, then you need medium, neat pumpkins that are quickly and completely baked. For a side dish, you can buy squash of any size. If you want to prepare a side dish of squash, keep in mind that one 500 g pumpkin is enough for a dish for two people.
Wash and dry the squash, scrape off any questionable stains, cut the tree stem off. If you will cook whole pumpkins, make neat punctures in them with a knife or fork; if in pieces – cut the slices first in diameter and only then into the necessary pieces to keep the beautiful pattern of the edges.
How to cook whole squash
If you want to maximize the benefits of squash, bake them or steam them. To bake, place fresh squash in a high-edged baking sheet, brush with oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 15–20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. Ready squash can be easily pierced through.
One cup of cooked squash contains 38 calories and 5 g of dietary fiber, as well as vitamins C, A, B6, folic acid, magnesium and potassium
To steam the squash, place the chopped fruit in a steamer bowl or in a colander placed over a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Cut the cooked vegetables into slices and serve, season with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Stuffed Patissons
Healthy food lovers and vegetarians will love the recipe for squash stuffed with quinoa and corn. You will need: – 6-8 patissons; – 1 tablespoon of olive oil; – 1 head of onion; – 1 clove of garlic; – 2 teaspoons of cumin; – ½ teaspoon dried oregano; – 1 tomato; – grains from two ears of corn; – 1,5 cups of finished quinoa; – 1 teaspoon of hot chili sauce; – ¼ cup of cilantro, chopped; – ¾ cup of feta cheese.
Quinoa – the “golden grain” of the American Indians, instant groats, rich in vitamins and minerals, with a high nutritional value
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Remove most of the pulp and all seeds from the prepared pumpkin. Set about ½ cup of the pulp aside. Heat a spoonful of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut the onions into small cubes, chop the garlic. Saute the onions and garlic in oil until soft, this will take about 5 minutes. Add cumin and oregano and stir-fry for another minute.
Add diced tomato, chopped squash, corn kernels. Cook for another 3 minutes, then add broth, hot sauce and quinoa. Cook the filling over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and add crumbled feta cheese. Spread the finished filling between the squash, put them in a baking dish with high edges, pour in ¼ cup water and cover the dish with cling foil. Bake for 20 minutes, until the squash is tender. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.
For lovers of hearty meat dishes, a recipe for squash stuffed with ground beef is suitable. You will need: – 4-6 squash; – 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced; – 4 tablespoons of olive oil; – ½ cup of bread crumbs; – ½ cup chopped onions; – 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley; – ½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed; – 2 cloves of minced garlic; – 300 g of ground beef or veal; – salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Put the processed squash in a saucepan with boiling salted water and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain the boiling water and let cool, then cut off the tops and remove the pulp. Fry the onion until transparent, add the minced meat and garlic to it and fry, stirring occasionally, until the meat is done. Set aside, fry tomato slices and squash pulp in the same pan, add bread crumbs, parsley, basil, season with salt and pepper, mix well with minced meat and fill the squash. Bake for 30 minutes, sprinkle with spicy, semi-hard grated cheese if desired before serving.
Slices baked in slices
For those who are not so preoccupied with counting calories, the Italian-style baked squash recipe is suitable. Take: – 4 squash; – 1 head of onion; – 4 tablespoons of olive oil; – 1 glass of tomato marinara sauce; – ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese; – 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese; – 1 glass of bread crumbs; – 3 cloves of garlic; – ¼ teaspoon dried oregano; – ¼ teaspoon dried parsley; – salt and ground black pepper.
Cut squash lengthwise into 1 centimeter wide slices. Cut the onion into half rings. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, cover the baking sheet with foil and grease with vegetable oil. In a bowl, combine the squash slices, onion half rings, salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet in one layer, pour over the marinara sauce. Bake for 15-18 minutes, then sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 5-7 minutes. While the squash is baking, mix the bread crumbs with the garlic passed through a press and the remaining vegetable oil, fry in a pan, add the dried herbs and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle the baked squash with crumbs and serve.