Squash Puree Recipes

SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Halve and seed squash. Lay cut side down on baking sheet.
• Bake until very soft, about an hour. Turn cut side up, and let sit until cool enough to handle. Scrape flesh into blender or food processor. Add butter to taste, and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add honey to taste if desired. Stir in thyme and hot pepper. Reheat over very low heat, stirring constantly. Serve hot.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Halve the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings. Rub the insides with 2 tablespoons softened butter; season with salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan, skin side down. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the squash from the oven, scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor. Add the orange zest, honey and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Puree until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and cinnamon. Pulse a few times to incorporate.

ROASTED SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C.
• Halve the squash lengthwise and lay, face-down on a baking sheet. Bake until the flesh of the squash is completely soft, about 30 minutes. Remove and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash with butter to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

ROASTED DELICATA SQUASH PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise and place on a cookie sheet, cut sides up. Rub with oil, and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Roast until flesh yields easily to the touch, 30 to 60 minutes, depending on size of squash.
• Remove from oven and scoop out and discard seeds from central cavity. Scoop out flesh and place in a food processor. Process until very smooth. Transfer to a nonstick saucepan, place over low heat, and stir constantly until any liquid has evaporated and squash is dry, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a food mill and press squash through into nonstick saucepan. Stir in butter and cinnamon. Season with salt and white pepper as needed. Return to low heat just until reheated. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat gently before serving.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash in a large shallow baking dish. Drizzle with butter, and toss to coat. Cover with parchment-lined foil. Transfer to oven, and cook until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, clean seeds and transfer to a small baking sheet; bake until dried out. When dried, cook in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and let stand until cool.
• Using an immersion blender or working in batches in a blender, puree squash until smooth. Stir in honey, salt, and nutmeg. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with roasted seeds.

ROASTED SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash halves, skin side up, on an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fork-tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven. Turn over; let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Scoop the flesh into a food processor, and discard skin. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate squash puree in an airtight container up to 4 days or store in the freezer up to 1 month.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place squash on a baking sheet, flesh-side up.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender and slightly brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool until easily handled.
• Scoop flesh into a food processor; pulse until smooth. Add chicken stock, 1/4 cup at a time, while continuing to pulse, until smooth. Season puree with salt and pepper.

ACORN SQUASH PURéE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the cavities of the squash halves with salt and arrange the squash, inverted, in one layer in a buttered baking dish. Bake the squash, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 1 hour and let it cool until it can be handled. Scoop out the squash pulp, discarding the skin, and in a food processor purée it with the butter. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and simmer it, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid is evaporated. Season the purée with the nutmeg and salt and pepper. The purée may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

MAPLE SQUASH PURéE

Steps:

• Simmer squash in water with 1 teaspoon salt in a 5-quart pot (water will not cover squash), covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid, then drain squash in a colander.
• Purée squash, syrup, and butter in batches in a food processor until smooth, adding reserved cooking liquid if purée is too thick. Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in pepper and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Variations:
• • Add crumbled bacon: Cook 6 bacon slices in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then crumble and sprinkle over purée.
• • Add 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger to purée along with pepper and salt.

WEANING RECIPE: ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & GARLIC PURéE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Place the butternut squash cut-side up on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 45 mins, put the garlic on the tray and roast for another 15 mins or until you can easily slip a knife through the flesh of the squash. Take the garlic out if necessary.
• Allow to cool a little, then scoop the flesh out of the squash with a spoon, discarding the seeds and skin. Squeeze the garlic out of the skin, discarding any tough bits and purée the garlic pulp together with the squash in a food processor.
• You can add a knob of butter, or a splash of water or milk to loosen the purée.