Tag Archives: squash

Casseroles, Poultry, Recipes

An Easy and Delicious Casserole

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Hello all… Autumn is on its way, but summer is still in full force,
Although the last few days here in Reno have felt like November. But it will get hot again soon. I had planned to publish a recipe earlier this month, but the heat was muggy. I found it easiest to just grab a fast-food salad for dinner.
But a friend gifted us several beautiful yellow squashes. They were pretty large and very flavorful, so one-half of one big one was enough for this really delicious casserole. Made with a low carb bread–I used Timberwolf, but any 1 Net carb per slice bread will work–it is more like a strata than a crust base. See this post for other bread options:
It will make four hearty portions or six smaller ones that are great when rounded out with a salad.

Southwestern Squash and Chile Bake

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow squash, halved and thinly sliced
1–2 green chiles, chopped (adjust for heat)
½ lb sausage or ground turkey (browned)
½ cup bacon pieces (optional, for smoky depth)
2–3 slices low-carb bread, cubed
6 eggs
¼ cup milk or cream
Salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika
Optional: shredded cheese (cheddar or pepper jack)
 Instructions:
1.     Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a baking dish.
2.     Sauté aromatics: In a skillet, heat oil and cook red onion until soft. Add garlic, squash, and green chiles. Sauté until squash is tender.
3.     Layer the base: Spread cubed bread in the baking dish. Top with sautéed veggies, cooked sausage or turkey, and bacon bits.
4.     Whisk eggs with milk, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Pour over the layered ingredients.
5.     Top with cheese if using. Let sit for 5–10 minutes so bread absorbs the egg mixture.
6.     Bake for 30–35 minutes until set and golden. Let cool slightly before slicing.
Serves 4 to 6 people
Nutrition Info per servings (4 servings)
Calories: 398  Fat: 27g Sodium: 723 mg, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Fiber: 8.9 g,   Protein: 31 g  Net Carbs: 5.1 g
Nutrition Info per servings (6 servings)
Calories: 266  Fat:18 g Sodium: 482 mg, Carbohydrates: 9.6 g, Fiber: 6 g,   Protein: 21 g  Net Carbs: 3 g
This recipe is in my “make again often” file. Give it a try and let me know if you agree.

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Content Copyright 2025 by Rene Averett

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Savory Acorn Squash

Photo: Herb roasted acorn squash

If you’re like me, you haven’t thought about using acorn squash or butternut squash with savory seasonings. I grew up with it being covered in butter and brown sugar with cinnamon, so it was more of a sweet treat. It’s still a favorite way to eat the squash, but others are also delicious.

The herbs and butter mix on this one is wonderful, bringing a delightful flavor to the squash. It pairs well with ham, pork roast, or chicken.

This recipe is adapted from one at therealfoodrds.com and is slightly easier, mainly because I use a pre-packaged mix of herbs rather than mixing several together myself. For this recipe, I used Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning, one of the staples in my kitchen. Any garlic herb mix will work.

Herb-Roasted Acorn Squash with Parmesan

1 large acorn squash (about 4″ in diameter)
⅓ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
2–3 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning
1 tablespoon Butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400℉. Prepare 2 baking sheets by covering with either aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into ½-inch thick slices.

In a small bowl, mix the spices, cheese, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the acorn slices on the baking pans with flat sides down. Spread the melted butter over each piece with a cooking brush. Use a spoon to sprinkle the herb and cheese mixture over the squash liberally. Coat the entire top of each slice.
.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash, and the parmesan cheese is crispy and slightly browned.

Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Image: Nutrition Information

Recipes

For variety, try a curried chicken and pumpkin pizza!

Continuing my celebration of Fall and the delicious foods that reflect the season, I decided to expand on my pizza-making skills and create a pizza that combines Asian flavor in curried pumpkin and chicken with a delicious crust to create an Asian style pizza. Don’t scoff! It’s really good. I used mozzarella cheese on top, but I think other light white cheeses might be equally good with it.

Pumpkin is variable in the recipe. I actually used Butternut squash although you can also use Kobacha, acorn squash, Hubbard, or any other orange winter squash in it. They are all in the same family as pumpkin. In fact, the Kobacha is the squash usually used in Asian cooking when they refer to pumpkin. My preferred curry mix is S&B Golden Curry in cake form because it seems to impart the most flavor to my cooking and it thickens easily. You can mix your own curry together or use a curry powder from the store.

Curried Chicken and Pumpkin Pizza

1 cup cooked Chicken, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Sweet Pumpkin or Butternut Squash, cubed
1/4 cup Onions, chopped or sliced
2 tablespoons Pico de Gallo or chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili and cilantro
1 cake S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix (1/5 pkg)
1 cup Chicken Broth or Chicken Bullion
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Apple, cut into pieces (optional)
1/2 large Pizza Crust or 1 small 8″ crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Cook the cubed pumpkin or squash in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 minutes to soften to fork-tender. You can also parboil them until a fork penetrates easily. This may vary with the size of the cubes, so the smaller they are, the faster they will cook.

In a medium pan, add chicken broth, onion, and curry mix, Add additional curry powder if you like a stronger curry. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Add chicken and pico de gallo. Stir and cook for about five minutes. You want it fairly thick so that it spreads easily and stays put on the crust.

Pizza with all toppings except apples and cheese.

Put foil over the bottom of a baking pan or use a pizza stone. Spray the foil with cooking spray and put the pizza crust on top. Spread the chicken curry mixture over the top evenly. Top with pumpkin cubes and apple pieces. Spread mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information for topping only (including apple) per serving:
Calories: 202.7 Fat: 8.9 g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 21.7 g

Depending on the type of pizza crust you use, it can vary from 1 net carb per slice to 2 net carbs. LC Foods Pizza Crusts are about 2 net carbs for one slice while the homemade one that makes 4 servings is about 1.5 net carbs. Cauliflower and other vegetable crusts vary in carbs, but if you figure on 2 net carbs, you’ll be safe with most low carb crusts.

LC Foods Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Chicken Pizza Crust

Flax Meal Pizza Crust

A to Z Challenge 2015, Beef, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Zest for Zucchini

Zucchini is one of the favorite vegetables of the world and it certainly ranks high in my culinary endeavors. It is delicious almost any way you prepare it and there are countless ways to use it in your cooking from salads, to main course to appetizers to desserts and breads. However, zucchini is part of a much larger family that includes other summer squashes, winter squashes, melons and cucumbers. Yep, they are all related, some a little closer than others.

Greenhouses, importers, and various growing locations worldwide have ensured that we can find zucchini in grocery stores at any time of the year. Others in the family, like yellow, crookneck and scallop squashes don’t show up as consistently. They each have their own unique flavor and blend well together when cooked. Zucchini has a delicate flavor, an edible skin, and a creamy off-white flesh. Generally the smaller, 3 to 4-inch vegetables are the best for eating since the seeds are smaller and edible and the flavor is at its best, I think. As they get bigger, they get tougher, seeds are bigger and the flesh isn’t as sweet. If you are stuffing a zucchini, try to look for about 5” and as big around as you can find.

Besides the delicious vegetables — oh, wait, that isn’t really a vegetable, but a fruit! It is formed in the same manner as fruits, so technically it is one of them. But I will continue to count it in the vegetable column. The zucchini also produces an edible golden flower. I admit, I have never cooked one of the flowers, although they are popular fried. I did have a couple of plants one summer that did not cross-pollinate because the flowers were all I got. The male flower blooms first to attract bees and the female blossom, which has the bud of a tiny fruit under it, needs to be pollinated by the bee. If this doesn’t happen, no zucchini will form. I was once told that you need at least two plants, but that apparently, isn’t necessary so long as the plant produces a female blossom. If no bees are in the area, you can transfer some of the pollen using a Q-Tip to dip into the male flower and put it in the center of the female bloom. Doesn’t that sound romantic?

All squashes have their ancestry in the Americas, but they have spread around the world. They are easy to grow and mature quickly. It’s one of the few plants that I can actually get a decent crop from in the micro-climate of South Reno. Native Americans called squashes one of the “three sisters” in their culture. The other two were corn and beans, which are also native to the Americas. The squash blossom is a popular design motif in Native American art and jewelry.

The squash we now call zucchini was developed in Italy from the root squashes brought back from America. It was cultivated,  in the late 19th century and likely near Milan. The name came from zucca, which is the Italian word for pumpkin or squash and the suffix “ino” or “ina”, meaning little and becoming zucchini in the plural form. The French called it “Courgette” and it is known that way in much of Europe, so if you see that in a recipe, you know it is zucchini or vice versa. They are known as baby marrow in South Africa.

As little as 30 years ago, the zucchini was barely known in the United States and it was referred to as the Italian squash. It was likely brought to the country of its ancestors by Italian immigrants. But it took hold and has become  popular to eat and grow.

Going back to its roots, zucchini, like all summer squash, is delicious with its other two sisters, corn and beans, and popular in Native American and Mexican foods. While beans and corn are used sparingly in a low carb lifestyle, summer squashes are very low in carbohydrates, which makes them awesome!

Nutrition information 1 medium (196 g)
Calories: 33 Fat: 0.5g Net Carbs: 4.0 g Protein: 2.4 g

Recipes

There are several recipes on this site that feature zucchini:

Bacon & Zucchini Stuffed Sole
Zucchini Fritters
Chicken with Tomatoes & Zucchini
Zucchini and Sausages Bake

Featured Recipe

Since Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and the squash is a Native American, which includes Mexico and South America, crop, it seems apropos that the recipe should honor that heritage. The Mexican name for squash is calabacitas and the Mexican zucchini is similar to the Italian one but more rounded and tear drop shaped. This is an original recipe I’ve developed over the years.

Calabacitas y Carne Con Queso

Mexican Squash with Meat and Cheese
Recipe by Rene Averett

3 cups Mexican Zucchini (or regular zucchini)
1 lb Beef, ground
1 can Chiles, mild or medium to your preference
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Mexican Cheese, Queso Fresco or similar
1/2 cup diced Onions
1 cup canned Diced Tomatoes, with juice
2 Low Carb Tortillas
1 cup Jicama, shredded or cubed or Daikon Radish, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
2 tablespoon fresh Cilantro
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Slice zucchini into 1/4″thick rounds.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and heat a minute or so, then add garlic, jicama and onions. Stir cook the onions until they are fragrant and shiny. Add ground beef and lightly brown, then add seasonings, chiles and diced tomatoes. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until hot and bubbly. Stir in the fresh cilantro.

Spray a round 2 qt. casserole dish with baking spray. Layer 1/3 of the zucchini on the bottom of the dish. Pour 1/3 of the meat mixture over the top, then sprinkle 1/3 cup of cheddar jack cheese over that. Put a tortilla on top and repeat with another layer of zucchini followed by the meat and cheese. Put the second tortilla on top and use the rest of the zucchini, meat and cheese on top of that.

Bake for 25 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly. Sprinkle the Mexican cheese over the top and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving :
Calories: 260 Fat:17.0 g Net Carbs: 8.7 g Protein: 16.3 g

And it’s Z-end of the the A to Z blog challenge! I will resume my usual Tuesday post schedule next week, but I thank everyone who stopped by to visit and comment during the A to Z Challenge. I hope you will continue to visit now and then.

 

Input for this article came from World’s Healthiest Foods,  Nutrition and You, Wikipedia, and The History of Zucchini.

All photos taken by R. Averett for Skinny Girl Bistro.