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How to Cut Butternut Squash

by Stephanie

How to Cut Butternut Squash

Ahh butternut squash. You love to eat it, but you hate to cook it because it’s a pain in the butt(ernut) to cut.

So instead of buying it and cooking it, you pass on by it in the aisle while it cries after you yelling “Really! I’m not that hard to cut! Come back!”

Give the poor squash a break will ya!

Squash is an excellent source of many vitamins and nutrients, which are especially important in the colder months, so I really want you to get to know those squash a bit better.

This week I wanted to share with you an easier way to cut butternut squash–or just squash in general.

Below are my tips!

How to Cut Butternut Squash
Trim the edges
Cut in half width-wise and peel with sharp knife
Cut in half again
Scoop seeds
Dice in 1-inch pieces
Dice in 1-inch pieces
Roast!

Tip 1: Dude you NEED to have a sharp knife.

That old knife from Ikea that you had in university isn’t going to cut it anymore (no pun intended).

Buy a new knife (I bought a couple of chopping knives from Loblaws last year for $25 that work really well) and at the same time buy a knife honer.

What the heck is a knife honer? It’s a metal rod that you use to ‘straighten’ your knife between sharpening sessions. I say ‘straighten’ because technically it doesn’t sharpen, it straightens the blade, but it feels like it’s sharper. Anyway just get one and use it right before you cut a big squash. (Learn the proper way to hone a knife here).

Having a sharp knife will make your life easier in many aspects of your cooking life.

You may actually enjoy cooking after having a sharp knife! Yes–it’s possible to love cooking! I promise!

Just be careful though. If you’re not used to your new sharp knife you could put too much pressure down into the cut than you need to and you could slip and slice your fingers.

Tip 2: Don’t feel like you need to cut squash in half length-wise.

I see so many recipes calling to cut squash in half the long way. No wonder people run away from squash! If I had a dull knife and I had to cut it length-wise in half I’d be running away too.

In my opinion you can get the same result by doing the following (this is for butternut squash):

  • Cut the butternut squash in half width-wise first.
  • Then cut it length-wise if you are simply going to roast it in bigger pieces.

I personally like to peel my butternut squash and then dice it to roast because it doesn’t take as long to roast than if it were in bigger pieces.

  • Peel and dice = 25 mins roasting time
  • Don’t peel and roast in larger pieces = 40+ minutes

So after I’ve cut it in half, I peel it (using my sharp knife!) by resting the cut, flat side down on the cutting board. Then I peel it using the knife down toward the cutting board. I suppose you could use a peeler too, but the skin might be a bit too thick for that. Then I scoop out the seeds and dice the squash into 1-inch pieces.

At this point you can either roast it, or if you like you can steam it in a steaming basket.

I don’t recommend boiling it though (or any vegetable for that matter) because as soon as you boil food, the vitamins and nutrients go from the food into the water, which most people pour down the drain.

Tip 3: Don’t peel it!

Did you know you can eat squash skin? Yes! So technically you don’t even have to peel it.

Ok if you’re making soup you should probably peel it, but if you’re roasting it for a side dish then forget about it. This past summer I cut butternut squash into thin wedges and cooked it on the BBQ. It was good!

I think this is the most I’ve ever talked about butternut squash so I think I’ll leave it there. I just want you to give the poor thing a chance because it’s so, so good.

I’ve got a great recipe on the blog for butternut squash and leek soup–try it! Or try it in a curry or in a mash or even as a sauce for mac and cheese. Roast it to eat with sausage or fish or chickpeas. The sky is the limit and your body will love you for giving it some winter squash love.

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On Mother’s Day weekend, we hosted my family for On Mother’s Day weekend, we hosted my family for brunch. I bought a few quiches to eat for brunch mixed with bacon, croissants, and fruit.⁠
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No need to make everything from scratch friends!⁠
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According to the quiche reheat instructions, the internal temperature was to be 165° so after I baked it for about 18 minutes I checked the temp with my digital meat thermometre.⁠
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My mom’s husband looked over at me and said to her: “Look honey, she uses a thermometre too!” My mom laughed and said that her husband uses one for everything and uses a timer for all of his cooking.⁠
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When we were growing up my mom simply smelled and looked at the food to tell if it was done. ⁠
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“Mom, how do you know the turkey’s done?"⁠
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“Oh, I just know.”⁠
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My mom would smell it first in the kitchen and then she would peek at the food in the oven and decide it was done by how it looked.⁠
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It’s interesting how those experiences help us to establish what we do in our own kitchens when we start to cook for ourselves.⁠
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I use a thermometre and timer for many things, but I still use the smell and look method to help me decide if it’s done.⁠
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A balance of both of these approaches while cooking is important.⁠
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If you’re new to cooking, you might simply use a timer for a recipe, but once the timer is done, it might not be cooked all the way through. ⁠
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A more experienced cook would observe that the dish is not quite browned enough and that it needs more time in the oven.⁠
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Every oven has a different temperature, so it’s important to balance that with the time. This is why I find using a thermometre really helpful. It can also prevent overcooking and drying out the food.⁠
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Chicken is notoriously overcooked because people are afraid to undercook it. ⁠
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A thermometre will tell you exactly when the chicken is finished at 165°. It stays somewhat moist and juicy at that temperature.⁠
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If you wait until it’s browned on the outside, it might be too dry to eat. Alternatively, just using a timer could result in either a dry or under-cooked chicken breast.⁠
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I made this nifty graphic you can keep handy the next time you’re cooking. Use it to cook moist meat, not dry!⁠
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xo
Happy Friday 13th!⁠ ⁠ Do you find eating salad Happy Friday 13th!⁠
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Do you find eating salads scary??? 😱⁠
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According to my highly unscientific research, there are two types of people who don’t like to eat salad:⁠
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1️⃣Those who think eating salad is boring.⁠
2️⃣Those who think that salad isn’t filling enough to be a full meal.⁠
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Ok, one more… those who don’t like eating vegetables!⁠
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If you fall into one of the first two categories, I’m here to tell you that maybe… just maybe… you’ve been making salads wrong.⁠
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I know... People don’t like to be told that what they’ve been doing is wrong (I don’t like to be told that either) but I can guarantee you that salads can be fun and filling and it’s all in how we put them together.⁠
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On the blog, I have all the tips on how to make the perfect salad just for you: ⁠
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>>https://lealoucooks.com/howtobuildasalad/⁠
>>or get the link in my profile here: @lealoucooks
I love the idea of looking into the cupboard and c I love the idea of looking into the cupboard and creating something from what seems like nothing.⁠
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I do this to use up the food I have before bringing more food into the house.⁠
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I'm not sure about you, but when I don't use up the food I have, it gets pushed to the back of the fridge and then lands right into the compost bin. ⁠
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This is one of the ways groceries can get expensive.⁠
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So before you make your next grocery list, look in the cupboards and fridge first. What do you have in there that can be used up?⁠
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Then search for a recipe that uses those ingredients.⁠
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Shop your kitchen first, then make a list.⁠
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If you have food in your house you're not sure what to do with, comment below and I'll think of what to make with it!⁠
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#mealplanning #mealplanningtips #mealhelp #dinnertime #supper #eatleftovers #fridgefood #recipes #savemoney #foodwaste⁠
This weekend is a bit of a doozy - a fun doozy!!⁠
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💛My street is hosting a giant street sale (if you're in Etobicoke you can DM me for the address).⁠
💛It's my anniversary (14 years!)⁠
💛AND it's Mother's Day (on the same day as my anniversary! Sorry hunny).⁠
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I'm hosting my sisters and mom for a brunch and I asked them what their most favourite brunch meal is to eat... I'll make the menu a combination of everything for them!⁠
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My sister asked me the question back and I, of course, thought of eggs.🥚⁠
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(Why are all of my posts about eggs??)⁠
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This photo is of a breakfast I had last week and it was so good!⁠
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💛Sourdough GF bread from @thebreadessentials⁠
💛Topped with hummus⁠
💛Topped with a yellow heirloom tomato (fun!)⁠
💛Topped with eggs (duh)⁠
💛Topped with jalapeno sheep cheese from @blythfarmcheese⁠
💛Topped with Broccoli sprouts from @livingearthtoronto⁠
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That brekky was a favourite hands-down.⁠
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Eat what you love friends! 🌱⁠

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About Stephanie

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Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

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