I am constantly in debate with these blog posts. I make dinner and then sit down to eat it thinking, “This will be it! This will make everyone want to run to the kitchen right now!” And then as I eat, I just think, “This is good. But not as good as those danishes. Or those blondies. Or even that zuchinni. Should I even post this?”
And then I have to remember the reason that I am blogging. Not to come up with the latest and greatest recipes, not to blow you away with every dish I make, not to follow all of the culinary trends. I am here to chronicle the things that I make (for myself), hoping that maybe I’ll help you with your dinner tonight or your party this weekend or remind you of something you once loved and haven’t made in awhile.
Because even if I don’t think a certain dish holds up against chocolate stout cake or even my new favorite mushrooms, this squash still has a right to be here.
So now that I’ve spent all of this time talking about how my acorn squash doesn’t compare to certain favorites, let’s talk about what it is like. It reminds me of that eggplant I made last summer. You know, when I ate half of it off the tray before we even sat down to dinner. The Parmesan cheese and thyme combine to give the squash a warm nutty flavor. It is quick to prepare and relatively fast on the baking time. Only don’t burn it like I did because you get annoyed with the kitchen timer and turn it off without remembering the whole reason why it was set. Let’s just say it’s been a long week.
Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash
adapted from Real Simple Magazine October 2011
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4-6
1 (2 lb.) acorn squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 springs fresh thyme (or about 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (and maybe a bit more)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. To prepare the squash, cut off each end of the squash. Then stand it up flat and cut it in half (from top to bottom). Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and pulp out of the middle. Then cut each half of the squash into slices about 3/4 inch thick.
3. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss squash with olive oil, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread squash out onto the baking sheet, making sure each piece lies flat. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
4. Roast squash until golden brown and tender, 25-30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese over the top of the squash before serving.
Let’s be honest, no vegetable is going to compare to a chocolate stout cake but these do look absolutely delicious. I love the parmesan!
Haha, I’m kind of with Kathryn on the vegetable vs cake front, but these do look gorgeous anyway. You can’t eat showstopping food every single day of the week, and sometimes beautiful, simple flavours like these are exactly what you need.
I actually love acorn squash and although you are right, it’s hard to compare with a cake, I am always looking for new ways to prepare healthy food to balance out everything. So when I see a new way to roast squash or throw together a salad I almost get more excited than when I see a cake or cookie post. Well, sort of:-)
I have prepared these one other time and am doing again. They are fabulous! The cookie sheet of them disappeared within minutes of coming out of the oven. Try them!