S. HAYASHI
I have known S. for a couple of years now. We met at a Japanese class and we were the only adults among some teenagers. So we had no choice but to get along 😁😂. Not only we share the same passion for the Japanese language but we both have a sweet tooth. I must admit that I am jealous of how she is an expert at baking. I tried her baking once and It was really good and yummy 😋. I admire her love of baking because she is really good at it. It's a privilege that she has accepted to share this in my blog. Read below....
If you are like me, you didn’t grow up eating squash, were suspicious of it for most of your adult life, and have only recently warmed up to the taste. Though I wouldn’t say that I love squash, I won’t balk at eating it in a soup anymore and have even begun experimenting with turning these edible gourds into sweet treats. A quick online search of “squash muffins” will yield hundreds of recipes, but why stop there? People have been turning carrots into cakes for years, so why not beets? And heck, don’t even get me started on how you can bake with spinach….
I’ve always had a sweet tooth and it has motivated me to turn savoury vegetables into desserts all year round, but this Fall I’ve turned my sights on these four veggies: butternut squash, red kuri squash, acorn squash, and beets.
Clockwise from left: red kuri squash, butternut squash, beets.
Acorn squash.
SQUASH
The three aforementioned squash are versatile and interchangeable in muffin recipes. For the purposes of baking a sweet treat, you will always need to prepare a squash puree by:
scrubbing the outside of the squash
slicing it in halves or quarters (depending on size)
scooping out the seeds (red kuri squash seeds can be prepared just like pumpkin sees!)
placing the halves/quarters cut side down on a baking sheet
roasting for 45-60 minutes on 400F (you will know they are done when a fork slides easily into the flesh)
let cool and scoop out the desired amount; you should be able to smush it with the back of a spoon to create an instant puree
leftover puree can be frozen
BEETS
Most sweet recipes call for beets to be prepared either by steaming/roasting them (no oil) or by grating them raw. My preference is the roasting method: scrub beets clean, enclose them in foil (sealed but loose), and bake at 400F for 45-60 minutes (Hmm…. same as the squash. Maybe I’ll cook them together!) until they are easily pierced with a fork. Baking times depend solely on beet size. Once cooled enough to touch, you can peel them and mash with a fork to make a lumpy puree. You can also use a food processor or blender to puree them, based on your personal preference. Leftovers should be eaten with feta cheese and a drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar. Mmmm….
And now the recipes! Here's a sampler of some reliable recipes I’ve tried this fall with good results. Happy experimenting!
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