Time for an easy recipe, perfect for busy moms with little ones.
You see, things need to be easy around here. They don’t need to take much brain power, or effort, or energy, or anything else. Life is crazy enough as it is – that’s why my recipes are simple and I’m pretty sure they will always be simple.
At least I like to think so.
My children love acorn squash. It’s a mildly sweet winter squash, and it is very easy for a mama to prepare. Here are the deets on this lovely vegetable.
Contents
Acorn Squash Benefits
Acorn squash are very healthy for you and your baby.
- Excellent source of alpha- and beta-carotene, which are antioxidants – pair with a healthy fat for best nutrient absorption
- Great source of Vitamin C (another antioxidant)
- Anti-inflammatory
- Contains ALA omega-3 fats
- Contains blood sugar-regulating compounds
- Good source of B-vitamins (B1, B3, B6, Pantothenic Acid, and Folate)
Amazing. Apparently it was Hippocrates who once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” I think that should be part of the Hippocratic Oath! 🙂 And I am glad to know that acorn squash are very nutritious.
Uses for Acorn Squash Puree
Of course, acorn squash puree is so yummy, that you don’t need to keep it all for baby. You can use acorn squash as a side or even to make acorn squash bread or acorn squash custard!
This delicious puree can be added to muffins, pancakes, breads, and heaps more. Use it in place of any puree!
Is Acorn Squash Paleo?
Yes! Acorn squash is a paleo wholefood. This recipe is also GAPS friendly.
All pumpkins and squashes are paleo friendly, so long as you don’t mix them with non-paleo foods. If you are concerned about the sugar or carbohydrate content of this dish, use less sweetener.
How Do You Know When Acorn Squash Is Ripe?
Acorn squash are ripe when the skin is dark green and hard. The stem will become hard when they are ready to be picked. Unfortunately, once they are picked they don’t ripen anymore, so make sure that they are fully ripe before buying.
How To Cook Acorn Squash For Baby
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons ghee, butter, or coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if you’re on the GAPS Intro diet, make sure you are on Stage 6)
- you can add honey or maple syrup (only honey is GAPS legal) – Â but I really find that this is not necessary for us. It is sweet enough as it is and I can get away with not adding any sweetener and my kiddos still lap it up.
Equipment
- large baking dish
- immersion blender
- chef’s knife
- medium sized bowl
Instructions
Going along with this easy theme, I find the simplest way to prepare acorn squash is to bake it. Here are the steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a large chef’s knife, (be careful!) cut the acorn squash along one of the natural lines. Follow the cut all the way around. You can change direction if you need to. Finally, when most of the squash has been cut, pull the sides away from one another until it splits.
- Many recipes call for you to score the squash with a knife and coat with some type of fat, but I have found that this is not necessary since we are going to puree it. If you would like to go ahead and score/coat the squash, please feel free to. 🙂
- Place the squash, cut side up, in the pan. You can cover with aluminum foil if you want to. (If I cover with aluminum foil – sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t – I tilt the squash a bit so the foil comes into contact with as little as possible of the squash.)
- Bake at 400 for 1 hour. When finished, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh. (I like to use tongs to hold one side while I scoop.)
- Place the scooped out squash into a medium-sized bowl. Add ghee/butter/coconut oil, and cinnamon. Puree until smooth.
Notes
Like I mentioned, this is sweet enough for us as is. It’s treated like a dessert at our house, served at the end of a meal. Our kids love it. But if you really want a dessert dish, try my Acorn Squash Custard! It’s healthy and yummy, too.
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How to Cook Acorn Squash For a Baby (Paleo, GAPS)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This yummy acorn squash puree is a great first food for baby or vegetable side dish. It can also be added to muffins, breads, pancakes or more.
Ingredients
- 1 large acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Honey (to taste, if required)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the acorn squash along one of the natural lines. Follow the cut all the way around. You can change direction if you need to.
Pull the sides away from one another until it splits.
Place the squash, cut side up, in the pan. Cover with aluminum foil if you want to.
Bake at 400 for 1 hour. When finished, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh.
Place the scooped out squash into a medium-sized bowl. Add other ingredients
Puree until smooth
Notes
We find this recipe sweet enough for an after dinner treat.
If you need it sweeter, simply add a little honey or maple syrup.
This puree goes great in muffins!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Acorn squash
How do you like to prepare acorn squash? Is it a regular fixture at your place?
Love,
Dandy
A drop or two of vanilla extract would be good in this also. =)
Connie, YES!! Thanks for the tip!! I will add that to the recipe!