Dairy-Free Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut squash can be a tasty and healthy addition to any diet, and for anyone with lactose intolerance, dairy-free roasted squash can make for a great dish. In addition to roasting, the butternut squash can be stuffed or turned into a soup. The best part is that none of these recipes require the use of dairy!
Roasting
Try roasting the squash. With a large sharp knife, carefully slice the squash in half lengthwise. Clean out the seeds. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the two halves flesh-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add just a pinch of salt, as well. Then cover with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. The flesh should be tender when ready. Let cool slightly then grasp the squash and scoop it out with a large spoon. Serve in a bowl as one would mashed potatoes, seasoning to taste.
Baking
Alternately, you can bake the squash and serve it stuffed with rice on quinoa mixture. Season the squash with cumin and black pepper before baking. Then cook up a small batch of quinoa. In a pan, sauté onions, garlic, ginger, carrot, celery and pepper or other vegetables of your choosing. When the squash is ready, scoop the quinoa into the natural depression at the bell end and top with the sautéed vegetables.
Curry
Lastly, you can cube the squash and serve it in a curry. Cut the top and bottom of the squash and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Split it in half lengthwise, and cut off the bell ends from the long bodies. Cut into cubes. Add olive oil to a large pot and add chopped onion and ginger and then garlic. Also cube potatoes and sweet potatoes to add. Parboil the tubers, and then add them along with the squash to the pot. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and curry powder. Add a can of coconut milk and allow to simmer on low heat until the vegetables are cooked through. Serve atop brown rice.
