Fall for Squash

Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets

Though the days are still warm, the nights are getting chilly, and sunset is earlier – fall is approaching! We have wonderful fall squash tumbling into the stores – pie pumpkins, acorn, butternut – they are so delicious! Cut and peeled in our produce department, you can enjoy them braised, roasted or stewed in less than half an hour. Squash does have tough skin – but there are a lot of easy ways to get around that.

1. Embrace it – Slice, scoop out seeds, and roast, steam or bake in the skin.
2. Microwave it – slice off the top and bottom, microwave for 3-4 minutes, and easily peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler. (Skin really just slips off, and you have also shortened your cooking time with this method!)
3. Buy it peeled and cut from our produce department – it can be cooked quickly and added in to your weekday crunch time menus. Season with some ginger or cinnamon, and you have a wonderful side.

Farmer Mary Lou Zimmerman chops butternut squash into large cubes, and seasons with olive oil, pepper, garlic powder and salt. Roast on an oiled sheet pan at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. This is a great side to Balsamic Honey Chicken Skewers, made with Ken’s Lite Balsamic dressing. Get the squash in the oven, and prepare and grill the chicken skewers, and enjoy your dinner 30 minutes later. This one is a great choice for company too, and takes advantage of the lovely peppers and onions that are also fresh in the stores. Check the blog for more of our farmer’s recipes – we have a lot more to share! Balsamic Honey Chicken Skewers Ingredients 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 2″ cubes ½ cup Ken’s® Lite Balsamic Dressing ½ cup honey 12 cherry tomatoes 1 onion, quartered 1 yellow pepper cut into 2″ pieces Directions Combine Ken’s® Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing and Honey and set aside. Thread chicken, tomato, onion and pepper onto skewers that have been soaked in water for about ½ hour. Brush skewers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly oil hot grill rack, then grill kebabs, covered, turning occasionally, until chicken is just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Baste chicken with Balsamic and Honey for the last 3 minutes of grilling.