Winter (and Fall) Squash Season

by Sabrina Linden, Dietetic Intern

Cooler temperatures and shorter days put the rich orange, yellow, and green hues of winter squash on display.   Providing vitamins A, B6, and C, and packed with antioxidants, this veggie is sure to boost immunity all season long.  The yearend’s varieties differ from their summer counterpart in that they have a hardy (often still edible) exterior allowing survival through the chilling weather, and a mildly sweet interior as cozy and comforting as your favorite sweater.  If you’re new to squash shopping, delicata and butternut are great options for beginners; the deeper the beige of butternut, the better.  As for delicata, look for a strong yellow color with green stripes.  Both cylinder shapes can be prepared with the skin intact.  Veterans to these vegetables can explore the evergreen spherical versions like acorn and kabocha.  And, if you’re trying to convince anyone in your household to eat more veggies, may I suggest a golden spaghetti squash- yes the inside looks just like noodles!    All in all, winter squash are one of my favorite kickoffs to fall.  I encourage you to add them to your grocery list and remember, whichever you choose, make sure it’s: firm, not soft; blemish-free; dull, not shiny.

Kabocha Squash and Azuki Beans with Kale!

What's the difference between "pumpkin" and "squash"?   

This is the best answer I could find:

"Squash are generally separated into three categories: summer squash, winter squash, and pumpkins. The difference between them all is really just based on how they are used. Summer squash are harvested when young and tender, while winter squash are harvested when hard and ripe. Pumpkins are really just winter squash, but have a distinctive pumpkin shape."* 

Not to mention there are SOOOO many varieties.  I found great lists (plus additional recipes) - All About Pumpkins Varieties and Seed to Supper.  In this recipe, I used the Kabocha Squash but Butternut or Acorn could have easily been substituted.  There was so much squash left I had to figure out what to do with it.  Check out and join www.thatsvegetarian.blogspot.com later this week for the great treat!!  

Pumpkin is so nutritious, full of fiber and beta-carotene.  Here is more in formation:

1 cup of cooked pumpkin flesh contains**:

Calories 49 

Protein 2 grams

Carbohydrate 12 grams

Dietary Fiber 3 grams

Calcium 37 mg

Iron 1.4 mg

Magnesium 22 mg

Potassium 564 mg

Zinc 1 mg 

Selenium .50 mg

Vitamin C 12 mg

Niacin 1 mg

Folate 21 mcg

Vitamin A 2650 IU

Vitamin E 3 mg

Kabocha Squash and Azuki Beans with Kale video

To truly amp up this macrobiotic dish, add some brown rice.  Check out last week's blog on the macrobiotic diet.  Prepare the Kabocha Squash and Azuki Beans with Kale or any of the other wonderful recipes and and you'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"

Kabocha Squash and Azuki Beans with Kale

1 6-inch Piece of kombu
1c Azuki beans, dried
2c Kabocha squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, can leave peel on if organic, I prefer without

1/2 bunch kale, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1t soy sauce or shoyu

1t ginger

Combine the kombu and beans in a bowl and cover with 3 c water.  Soak for a minimum of 5 hours preferably overnight. 

Drain the kombu and beans, discarding the soaking water.  Slice the kombu into 1" x 1" squares and put the pieces in a pot.  Add the beans and fresh water to cover the beans by about 1 inch.  Put the burner on high and bring to a boil, straining any foam that rises to the top.   Boil for about 5 minutes or so.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes checking every 10 minutes for enough water (at bean level) and doneness.  Soaking the beans longer decreases the cooking time.

Once the beans feel al dente, add the ginger and soy sauce (or shoyu) and stir.  Then place the squash on top and simmer covered for about 10 minutes.  Check, it should be slightly soft, then add the kale and simmer for another 10 minutes.  It should still be bright green.

Prep time: 15 minutes, mostly for cutting the squash and kale.

Bake time: 50 minutes

Serves 4, about 1 cup each

Level of difficulty - Intermediate.

4PP

https://origin.library.constantcontact.com/doc201/1105007952193/doc/2NexfBIpivN0nc2q.pdf

* www.weekendgardener.net/vegetables/squash-winter.htm   

**www.allaboutpumpkins.com/facts.html  

Winter is a great time for soups - Hot and Sour is easier than you thought

 Keeping it brief, I bought a bunch of bok choy and wasn't sure what to do with it all. Searching for recipes, I came across a hot and sour soup. AND I couldn't believe how easy it was. I had to modify it a fair bit because I prefer more hot and more sour than the recipe had. Here is my SOUPED up version (every bit of the pun intended). Many of the ingredients are swappable, add more such as baby corn and water chestnuts. Leave out the egg if you want it vegan. The nutrition facts are approximate depending which ingredients you use. More soup recipes to come to battle this winter. 

Super Bowl Sunday!! Are you ready for some healthy snacks? Wait I mean FOOTBALL!!!

Another guest blogger - Dietetic Intern Esteban Tlatenchi.

The Super Bowl is the most famous sporting event in the United States. The National Football League schedules it on the first Sunday of February, also known as Super Bowl Sunday. In the U.S., people view it as an unofficial national holiday. American football fans or not, people like getting together with friends and family to socialize, watch the commercials, cheer for their team or the underdog, and eat delicious finger foods.

The party will have plenty of food for the next couple of hours. Probably before the end of the halftime show, a person could eat at least one serving of everything. The Department of Agriculture ranked Super Bowl Sunday as the second-highest day of food consumption in the U.S. next to Thanksgiving. The top Super Bowl party foods are (in no order): sliders, nachos with a dip, pizza, chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, or anything wrapped in bacon, hot dogs, popcorn, party subs, loaded potato skins, and ribs. Food and drinks combined can add up many calories of high fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium. Do not forget to include desserts and beverages, which include sugary drinks and beer. All these foods and drinks are delicious and tasty but come at a high price.

Imagine tallying the calorie values of some of the foods a person could eat during the game. Using CalorieKing and the USDA's national nutrient database, a person could eat about 4,000 calories, over 150 grams of fat, and 180 g of sugar from the items listed below.
                                                                      

Food	Qty	Cal	Fat	Carbs	Sodium	Sugars: Added	Cal Burn Time	Exercise
Costco’s Pepperoni Pizza	2 slices	1240	48 g	136 g	2580 mg	14 g	142 min or 345 min	Jogging Walking
Domino’s BBQ Chicken Wings	8 pcs	480	26 g	36 g	1680 mg	20 g	55 min or 134 min	Jogging Walking
Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips	22 chips (2 oz)	300	16 g	34 g	360 mg	2 g	34 min or 83 min	Jogging Walking
Regular Hot Dogs w/ ketchup & roll	2 hot dogs	630	37 g	58 g	1980 mg	18 g	72 min or 175 min	Jogging Walking
Tostitos Tortilla Chips with a hint of lime	12 chips	300	14 g	36 g	250 mg	1 g	34 min or 83 min	Jogging Walking
Tostitos Medium Salsa con Queso	8 Tbsp  (½ cup)	160	10 g	20 g	1120 mg	2 g	18 min or 44 min	Jogging Walking
Corona Extra Beer (39.3 g alcohol)	3 cans 12 fl oz	450	0 g	42 g	0 g	2.1 g	52 min or 125 min	Jogging Walking
Pepsi Soda	3 cans 12 fl oz	450	0 g	123 g	90 g	123 g	52 min or 125 min	Jogging Walking
Total consumed during the game		4010	151g	485 g	8060 mg	182 g	7.5 hrs or 18.5 hrs	Jogging Walking

The 150 grams of fat is about ¾ cups of butter and the 180 g of sugar is about a cup of granulated sugar added on top of it. Eating these foods is the easy part but burning it off is a different story. A person to burn all these calories would have to jog about two marathons or walk from the Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn to the beaches of Montauk, Long Island, at a pace of 10 min/mile. That is a lot of exercising to do to burn the food eaten at the party. Yet, a healthier option would be much different.

The estimate of 4,000 calories is more than one day's total recommended caloric intake of 2,000. By the end of the day, a person could eat more than 6,000 calories between breakfast, lunch, and the Super Bowl Party. A person can gain about a pound or two depending on their body. Maybe it is one of the reasons many call in sick for work the next day. There are alternative food options that one can prepare that are still tasty and, more importantly, healthy. One can still enjoy the game, the party, and eat healthily. With a bit of research and preparation, one can make healthier delicious treats that everyone can enjoy. Hopefully, by the end of the game, your team and you won by watching what you ate.