Ginger Ale Baked Squash
- Yield 4 servings
Serve on a bed of sauteed spinach or other greens.
Ingredients
- Glaze:
- 1 -- (12-ounce) bottle ginger ale
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger root
- -- Juice of 1 lemon
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fruit juice or water
- Squash:
- 2 -- butternut squash cut in half lengthwise and seeded
- 1 cup water (for cooking in conventional oven)
- 1/2 cup Ginger Ale Glaze (recipe given)
- 1 -- (6-ounce) box of your favorite stuffing mix*
Instructions
- To make the glaze: Place all ingredients but cornstarch and fruit juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, stir cornstarch into fruit juice until smooth. Add to contents of saucepan, stir to combine. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until mixture is thickened and clear, about 5 minutes. Glaze will keep 1 month in the refrigerator. Makes 2 cups.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- To prepare squash: Place squash halves cut side down in a baking dish (you can use a jelly roll pan). Add 1 cup water. Bake for 40 minutes or until almost tender. Alternatively, the squash halves can be cooked cut side down on a microwave-safe tray in a microwave oven on high for 12 to 14 minutes or until tender. Set aside. (The squash halves may be microwaved or baked up to a day prior to stuffing and stored in the refrigerator.)
- Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing mixture according to package directions*. Drain water from squash baking pan and place cooked squash halves, cut side up, in the pan (if squash were cooked in microwave, transfer them to a baking dish). Stuff about 3/4 cup stuffing into the cavity of each squash. Brush glaze over squash and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until squash is heated through and golden.
*Most stuffing mixes call for large quantities of butter. It is not necessary to add so much. In fact, for flavor, you may add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil instead. If you want to add butter, 1 tablespoon is more than enough.
