Butternut Squash

Visiting with some of my local foodie, pro foodie and chef friends yesterday yielded some recipes that I hinted at but didn't post - there's good news and there's bad news - the good news is that the recipes are for butternut squash, which you all collectively seem to be ALL ABOUT.. the bad news is that both contain ingredients I'm not 100% keen on (mainly for digestive reasons, because you know we're not afraid of dietary fat here at GiryaGirl.com) and haven't had a chance to do a full test adaptation yet.   That being said, I didn't want to keep them from you in the mean time.   BUT before that - a former chef from a VERY high end restaurant in my neighborhood (and constant source of celebrity sightings - Paul McCartney most recently) said that his favorite ingredient to pair with Winter squash is....

According to the surprisingly popular poll I put up on Facebook on Monday, butternut squash is the big time favorite - so it will be today's feature!   Let's start with a "fun fact" - when you buy canned pumpkin... guess what it really is 9 times out of 10?  That's right - your old favorite, butternut squash!   Most of the time when you say butternut squash people automatically think of butternut squash soup, which is wonderful and delicious - but don't let that limit your thinking.  The great thing about this slightly sweet, easy to work with and relatively quick cooking squash is its versatility.   I originally re-discovered butternut squash a few years ago after finding a recipe for a baked "French fry alternative*" After that I started seeing the squash as a much more versatile ingredient - and quite frankly one of the best "hash brown" alternatives ever - as proved yet again this very morning.