Butternut Squash- Two Meals 1 Ingredient

I am a woman with a very demanding full time job and a big appetite.  I love a good home cooked meal as much as the rest of you, but we all know that time is of the essence during the work week. Stressful business meetings, long commutes, squeezing in time at the gym and keeping up with emails seems to be the weekly routine for most of us living in Metropolitan cities, but I can show you how you can prep one simple ingredient at the beginning of the week, maybe Sunday evening, and have several completely different tasting meals all week long. 

1. Roasted Butternut Squash-

1. 1 Large Butternut Squash (peeled, seeds scooped out and cut into 1 inch cubes) I like to but the pre-cut squash in the produce fridge to save some time!

2. Olive Oil

3. Fresh Sage (About 3-4 Leaves)- Chiffonade (finely chopped)

4. 3 Small Shallots Chopped

5. Salt & Pepper

Steps-

1. Preheat the oven to 400F

2. In a roasting pan toss together the squash, sage, salt and pepper to taste and the shallots.

3. Drizzle on Olive Oil just to coat each piece of squash with a thin layer of oil.

4. Roast in the oven for roughly 25-35 minutes tossing them mid way through the cooking process for more even cooking. They are done when they are slightly golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. You want to be able to prick them with a fork easily.

5. I like to eat the squash in a kale salad with a simple vinaigrette, dried cranberries or cherries, and chopped almonds or walnuts. You can also eat it as a side with any protein you like!

2. Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients-

1. Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage (see above)

2. Chicken Stock

3. Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt (or Creme Fraisce or Sour Cream)

4. Salt and Pepper to taste

Steps-

1. Blend the Roasted Squash in a blender until creamy. Add a heaping dollop or two of the Greek Yogurt and some Chicken Stock until you reach your desired texture. If you like you soup thick put less stock, if you like it a little thinner keep adding stock a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Heat up in a pot or in the microwave and serve! Also good with toasted shelled pumpkin seeds as a garnish.