Baking a Whole Squash and a Hubbard Squash Smoothie

Mmm squash!

Today I wanted to share a new way to bake squash, that is actually much easier than my old way. I tried this new, now proven, method out on a beautiful Hubbard squash. Hubbard squash are kind of shaped like tear drops with a bumpy warty skin. They can be found in hues of dusty green or bright orange like the one here. I used some of today’s squash to make a bright Vitamin A rich Hubbard Squash Smoothie that could beat any frappie fancy drink from a coffee shop.

Previously I baked squash by cutting/sawing them in half, removing the seeds and placing them open side down in a glass pan with a little water, sometimes covering with tinfoil for a steam enclosure. While even that’s not truly labor intensive, some squash are pretty challenging to cut in half. I don’t trust myself or the squash to use my favorite ceramic knife and even the efficient cleaver is too big to wield at times.

Today all you have to do is wash the skin, poke a few holes and place your squash on a sheet of tinfoil or in a shallow pan. Bake at 350F 40-60 minutes depending on the size.

Remove from the oven at 40 minutes and check the tenderness of the squash by piercing it with a knife or fork [easy in = done] or cut out a jack-o-lantern eye to sample. If it’s not quite ready, bake another 10-20 minutes.

Upon removing from the oven, allow the squash to cool. Then cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Easy steps now that the squash has been softened. Scoop out the squash to store in a glass container or proceed with whatever favorite recipe is scheduled.

I used part of mine to make this delicious smoothie the last 2 days. It can easily be made into a green smoothie adding handfuls of your favorite greens OR enjoy the bright and sunny disposition of a pure squash smoothie. I added banana and 2 dates to add a little sweetness. This smoothie can be made warm using the squash right after baking or from chilled squash for a refreshing cold fall drink.

Either way it is wonderful!