Enjoy your butternuts! And you definitely will with this Butternut Asiago Squash.
Its fall and we are dreaming of brightly colored leaves, cooler temperatures, our favorite scarves, and trips to the pumpkin patch. All the gourds and squashes in different shapes and colors delight me. And I have made it my mission in the past to let everyone know that they aren’t just for decoration. Each and everyone can be eaten and enjoyed. You just have to know how to attack it.
Butternut squashes have gained a great deal of popularity in the past few years. I admit to jumping for joy when I see that the Autumn Squash soup is back on the menu at Panera or when I find my beloved butternut squash ravioli in the pasta section at the grocers.
But how do I cook it at home? You might be asking yourself. This funny shaped pale orange squash need not be a mystery any longer. This recipe will have you enjoying the sweet and nutty flavor of fall in less than 10 minutes.
Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scrap out the seeds. (You can easily save the seeds to plant in your garden next year or roast them on a baking sheet in a little olive oil.)
Rub the edges with and inside with the butter and place the halves flesh side down on a plate or in a baking dish.
Microwave on high for 5-8 minutes or until you can easily push a fork through the shell.
Allow the squash to cool then scrap out the insides into a serving dish.
Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the cheese.
What food reminds you of childhood?
Rice crispie treats
What is your favorite international cuisine? I love it all; why pick?
What is always in your refrigerator at home? Beer
What is your most used cookbook? Better Homes & Gardens red checkered cookbook
What is your favorite kitchen gadget? My canner.
Do you have a favorite food indulgence?
Not really because I don’t deny myself much. Everything in moderation.
What is your go-to ingredient that you use time and time again? .Onions
What is your favorite food meal to cook at home? Fried egg sandwich
What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks? Just try it. If it flops throw it out or feed it the chickens and try again.
When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes? Art
What else would you like us to know about you? I’m honest. I usually only bite my food. I love Jesus but I drink a little.
Jeanetta is a crocheter & coffee addict, chicken keeper & goat wrangler, a farmer girl & maker of drunk jellies. You can find her online at So I Was Sayin’ or on twitter, pinterest & instagram . You can also follow her on Periscope (Jeanetta) and join with her for #Arkanscopes.
For anyone living a gluten free lifestyle, pizza is more than likely missing from their food options. Traditional pizza was omitted from my diet until Robin DeVore of Riceland Foods recently divulged such a thing as a rice based pizza crust.
This recipe is easy, healthy and inexpensive to prepare and will have you thinking outside of the pizza box using rice. And September happens to be National Rice Month so let’s celebrate one of America’s favorite foods.
Preheat the oven to 400?F.
Gluten Free Rice Pizza Crust
2 cups of uncooked rice (long grain or short grain rice or brown rice) Cook as directed in a medium saucepan and tight lid* and set aside to slightly cool.
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon cayenne hot sauce or sriracha (add more or less depending on your taste preference)
In a mixing bowl, combine and mix well the cooked rice, beaten eggs and mozzarella cheese and cayenne pepper sauce or sriracha.
Transfer the rice mixture to a lightly greased 12-18-inch pizza pan ensuring to cover the bottoms and the sides.
Bake crust in a preheated 400?F oven for 10-12 minutes or until set and slightly golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool before adding toppings.
Tasty Simple Pizza Sauce
My grandmother always stressed simplicity in recipes to enjoy all the flavors mother nature offers. She taught me this recipe more than 40 years ago and it pairs nicely with this rice pizza crust.
1 can (32-ounce) of whole or diced tomatoes (I used a can of fire-roasted whole tomatoes)
6-8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Combine the entire can of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, a dash of salt, some pepper and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend the ingredients until the sauce is pureed. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. This sauce is ready as is. Cooking is not necessary.
Assemble Your Pizza
Gather your favorite vegetables, herbs and pizza toppings such as kale, mushrooms, onions, olives, red pepper, basil, parsley, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Be as creative and use what is on hand.
Spread half of the prepared pizza sauce onto your cooled-to-the-touch pizza crust. Layer 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 a cup of parmesan cheese onto the sauce. Begin adding your coarsely chopped toppings.
Bake the assembled pizza 20 to 30 minutes until the pizza edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and serve.
*Are your attempts to cook rice inconsistent or unsuccessful? Check your lid for a steam hole at the top or on the sides. Locking the steam into the cooking process ensures properly cooked rice. Robin shared this tip with me, and my rice has been perfect every time.
Are you or anyone you know gluten free? Do you have substitutes for some of your favorite foods? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
In 2007, Arkansas Women Blogger member Kellee Mayfield and her family moved to Lake Village. Kellee was quickly given the nicknamed “Kelly Jo” and the name stuck. As an Oklahoma native, Kelly Jo writes about living in very southeast Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta which has been penned the most Southern place on earth. She also shares her art as well as the art of resourcefulness as being the key to really small town living. Kellee is a mother, wife and is in sales representative and clinical specialist for a medical device company. And she has a Southern drawl. Catch up with Kellee Jo at Delta Moxie, Instagram, Twitter and Periscope.
