I don’t know how I lived my life thus far without knowing what a Kabocha squash was. But on a recent search for acorn squash at Whole Foods, I stumbled upon this little gem that is now one of my favorite foods.
The Kabocha squash, also known as the Japanese pumpkin, is not only delicious; it’s healthy. It has just 40 calories and 7 carbs per cup and is a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, iron, some B vitamins, and fiber.
It’s an easy dish to prepare. And I love that you can eat the skin!
roasted kabocha squash
instructions:
1. cut squash in half using large kitchen knife
2. scoop out seeds using large metal spoon
3. slice squash (1/4-1/2 inch slices, depending on preference; thinner slices will be crispier when roasted)
4. spread onto olive oil-misted, foil-lined pan
5. mist with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
6. place into oven at 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes (depending on how thick your slices are and how crispy you want them)
7. remove from oven and sprinkle with garlic powder (sometimes I will add some rosemary or thyme at this point as well)
8. place back into oven and bake for another 5 minutes (any longer and the garlic powder and dried spices will burn)
9. serve and enjoy!
Kabocha squash is great as a side dish with any meal or by itself as a snack. You can serve it hot, fresh out of the oven or even enjoy it cold from the fridge as leftovers!
Sometimes I mix it up and add various toppings such as:
– Artisana coconut butter
– Coconut sugar
– Cinnamon
– Nut butter
Just yesterday I made some homemade macadamia nut butter (by throwing some raw macadamia nuts and a dash of honey into my Vitamix). I sprinkled that onto of my squash along with some coconut butter and cinnamon, and it was a delicious, dessert-like snack!
