Roasted Gem Squash

Kitty FloridoDecember 4, 2014

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No matter what day of the week I visit my grandmother, it’s always good to get there with a little extra time. It seems, lately, that when I step in her house, time goes by faster than usual. Not only because I love to be there and as I cross the door all my worries go away, but also because it’s my second home. Last week I went to have an unexpected lunch at her place. I got there a little late, as the end-of-year traffic has already made an appearance, but still I got there to taste a delicious meal. And time did went by so fast… I wanted to stay a little more! Luckily, I got there with plenty of time, so we even had time for coffee and champurradas (for those unfamiliar with champurradas, they are a staple in Guatemalan cuisine, think big crunchy cookie!).

So for lunch, we had Chicken in a red sauce, white rice and squash with red bell pepper and onions. Only, this was a squash I’ve never seen before. It has thin deep green skin, when cooked has a very soft texture, and its pulp is yellow (and orange in some cases, the one here is orange). After we asked what its name was, we just got Ayote (a general term for squash). A few days later, we got one gorgeous Gem Squash as a gift, and when editing the pictures for this post, I started browsing around for its official name, and it seems it’s Gem Squash.

Since I’ve already tried it before, I wanted to… Roast it. I am loving this idea of roasted squash/pumpkin idea. To give it a little bit of more flavor, before roasting it, I added some olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin. And, because it was already cubed, it roasted completely in just 45 minutes (tossing them halfway through). Hopefully I can find some Gem Squash again at the store. This roasted along with bell peppers, shallots and carrots should be a winner!

Kitty

Roasted Gem Squash

A Foodies’ Kitchen Original Recipe
Yields a little over 2 cups of cubed squash

Ingredients:
1 2-pound gem squash
3 tablespoons of olive oil
cumin powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven at 350°F. Line up two baking sheets with foil and set aside.
If you haven’t done so, make sure you wash off the dirt from the squash.
Remove the top of the squash, and cut it in half.
Then, cube it in uniform pieces and spread them on the foil covered baking sheets.
Coat the squash with the olive oil, then season with the cumin powder, salt and pepper.
Bake for 25 minutes, then move the squash pieces around for even roasting, and place it back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes.
Serve immediately.