Squash Pecan Casserole With Dried Cranberries
Lacto-Veg Or Vegan Thanksgiving Squash Recipe
Recipe adapted From Heaven's Banquet Ayurvedic Cookbook, by Miriam Hospodar
"This is a good Thanksgiving dish that I serve in hollowed-out squash shells. Squashes with drier, denser flesh, such as kabocha, lend the best texture to this dish. You can also substitute 'yam'-type sweet potatoes. For a more pumpkin pie-like flavor, substitute cinnamon for the allspice."
This dish is delish anytime! We made it in May - no special occasion, and 4 of us ate the whole thing, without a trace of guilt. We'd do it again tomorrow.
Total prep & cook time: 50 min
8 Servings
Nutrition Data Per Serving (based on using vegetable oil, no sugar, no crystallized ginger): 147 calories, 21g carbohydrate, 8g fat, 78mg sodium, 1g dietary fiber, 2g protein, 286% RDV Vit A, 34% RDV Vit. C. Estimated glycemic load: 8. Low in sodium & cholesterol, Estimated glycemic load: 8.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked, puréed winter squash
- 2 Tbsp melted butter, ghee, vegetable oil or non-dairy spread
- Optional: 2 - 4 Tbsp raw or packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Optional: 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
Directions:
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- 2. Oil a casserole dish or place hollowed-out squash shells on an oiled baking sheet
- 3. Purée the squash, butter or veggie spread, allspice, and lemon juice together in a food processor
- 4. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the crystallized ginger and dried cranberries
- 5. Add a small amount of salt to taste if you feel it's needed
- 6. Spoon into the casserole dish or squash shells, and spread evenly. Decorate the top with the pecan halves
- 7. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F
Recipe Tips:
We've made this recipe using butternut squash, in a casserole dish, and while not as dramatic as the kabocha squash served in it's own shell, it's faster, easier and equally delicious.
Pick a good size, mature butternut squash. Sugar and crystallized ginger are optional because the squash is already sweet, and so are the cranberries.
To bake kabocha or butternut squash, cut in half (butternut lenghwise), scoop out the seeds, and bake in a shallow pan covered with foil, for one hour on until tender.
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