Friday, September 9, 2011

How to Make Butternut Squash Cakes (or Patties)

I am growing butternut squash in my garden and I cut the first two from the vine the other day.

I baked one, which entailed cutting the squash in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds (to be roasted separately), putting the halves (flesh-side down) into an oven-proof baking dish, adding a little water to the pan (to prevent burning) and cooking in a 350° oven until the flesh started to soften (about 40 minutes). After letting the squash cool, I scooped out the flesh and stored it in the refrigerator.

One decent-sized squash gives off quite a bit of meat, so the novelty of eating it plain (with a little salt and pepper) wore off quickly. To change things up, I made butternut squash patties, using the same technique employed for constructing fish cakes, spinach-be
ef patties or grain-bean cakes. (I interchange the terms "cakes" and "patties" freely.)
I put some squash into a bowl and added a mixed egg and whole wheat bread crumbs, which help hold the patties together. In addition, I added unrefined sea salt, fresh ground pepper, lemon juice and chopped parsley for added flavor, nutrition and color. I combined everything, made patties (slightly smaller than hockey pucks) and coated them with a little flour, which facilitates browning when cooking.

In a cast iron pan, I then sautéed the patties in olive oil, letting both sides brown. The whole operation took about 15 minutes, and the patties—along with a salad—made for a great vegetarian meal.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

vegetarian...except for the egg, would an egg substitute work?

Chef Rob said...

Sorry, ovo-vegetarian! I've never used egg substitute, but as long as it helps the binding process, it'll work. You'll probably have to experiment to find out!

Anonymous said...

was browsing on the net for an EASY recipe for butternut squash because I scored two packages of peeled cubed butternut squash at a good price at COSTCO last night. Easy is better and thanks so much!

Zaneta said...

Thanks for simple and delicious recipe!
I used ground up oats instead of breadcrumbs and used Indian spices. Very good.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I had about a pound of fresh butternut squash "spaghetti"; mixed with an egg, pre maple syrup and apple pie spice; roasted in a 450 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. Yum!