Tuesday, February 15, 2011

So you want to eat half a squash?

I have just the trick for you.

But first, an announcement.

I should take my advice in terms of moderation. Not moderation regarding food, but moderation regarding working out. I had some knee problems last year because of my excessive high-impact exercising, and doing yoga 2-3 times a week really helped alleviate the problem. Since my knee problem was "cured," I scaled back on the yoga to something like once a month. I should have seen this coming, but the knee problem came back today.

Luckily I got some form of a workout today with some low-impact legs and abs. Have you ever done lunges with a Bosu? It looks and feels like your legs are shaking so hard they are about to fall off. Great feeling, though! I highly recommend it.

Also, I've been meaning to post a picture of the breakfast I've been eating for the past 1.5 weeks; I think I've finally found my cereal replacement. I've mentioned overnight oats before, but I used to make it really complicated. This is my new and improved version:

My overnight oats: mix 1/2 cup oats, 1 1/4 cup milk, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, and some almonds together and keep in the fridge overnight. In the morning, mix in flax seeds and walnuts, and drizzle honey or maple syrup on top. 

I use chia seeds because it makes it really pudding-like. Plus, I just really like how slimy they get after sitting in the liquid overnight. If you aren't a fan of tapioca, you most likely won't be a fan of chia seeds. Also, since the oats soak up the liquid, these oats don't need to be cooked! I really like cold breakfasts. 

And now, it is finally time to talk squash.

Kabocha squash, to be exact. 


Kabocha squash is a Japanese variety of squash. It looks like a little green pumpkin! I had heard about this type of squash but hadn't tried it until last week when Alyssa roasted it. I immediately decided I had to experiment with it!

I went the easy route to start my kabocha experiments.

Roasted Kabocha Squash

The cool thing about kabocha is that the peel is edible! So the only challenge is chopping it. (I always forget how difficult it is to cut squash).  I used half of the squash for this recipe.

My inner engineer arranged the pieces symmetrically. 

I drizzled olive oil, salt, and pepper on the slices.


And baked them in the oven at 375F until browned (about 30 minutes, but I'd recommend checking periodically). Also, make sure to flip the pieces to cook evenly. 


Super easy, and ready to eat as is!


I ate them off of a plate, with a simple spinach salad. This squash is really sweet! And it has a more fluffy and much softer texture than butternut squash. And I just really like the fact that the peel is edible. 

Next time, I won't eat the entire half. It's really filling. And if you are interested, winter squash is still on sale (including kabocha) so head to your nearest grocery store! (I think they only carry these at Sunflower/Sprouts type stores). 

So, who wants to be my yoga buddy for the next few days? :)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

do you cook the oats? confused.

Tulika said...

Nope, they don't need to be cooked! Soaking them in the milk overnight does the same job as cooking them.

Lauren said...

I loooooove chia seeds in my overnight oats! Add great texture :)

Too funny - I JUST posted a recipe I made yesterday with roasted acorn squash :)

Tulika said...

hahaha! I actually read that post of yours and it looked absolutely delish :)

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