816-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 5, 1994
All You Need To Know About Cookln
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
This is the season to make good
use of the abundant supply of
squash.
Recently Althea Engle, Lancas
ter extension agent, held two work
shops on cooking with squash. She
prepared many recipes, which par
ucipants taste-tested at the work
shops held at the Farm and Home
Center in Lancaster. She also
demonstrated easy methods of pre
paring squash.
Squash contains abundant sup
plies of Vitamin A and potassium.
In fact, one-half cup of canned
pumpkin provides five times the
U.S. RDA for vitamin A and 10
percent of the minimum require
ment for potassium.
The riches source for Beta
carotene (which the body converts
into vitamin A) is found in squash
the darker orange, the more
beta-carotene.
Beta-carotene is cited by the
National Cancer Institute and the
American Cancer Socity as a possi
ble dietary inhibitor of certain
cancers including those of the
lungs, skin, and the digestive sys
tem. other studies show that people
with diets high in beta-carotene
have a lower risk of developing
certain cancers than those who
consume less beta-carotene.
Beta-carotene is important to the
body in other ways as well. Medi
cal experts say this nutrient also
plays a role in good vision, healthy
skin, a strong immune system, and
bone and tooth development.
There are many different variet
ies of squash every one of them
nutritious. Experiment with the
different varieties. Some are so
tender and sweet that people enjoy
them without any seasoning or
only a minimal amount of season
ing. One of the favorites for this is
Carnival squash.
Although many varieties arc
interchangeable, some varieties
make better pies than others. Gen
erally neck pumpkins, butternut or
acorn squash is used in pies, cakes,
cookies, and bread baking.
When buying neck pumpkins,
buy the longest neck possible as
there is more food value in the neck
and the body contains mostly
seeds.
Raw squash and pumpkin can
easily be prepared by cutting it in
half, turning upside down on a bak
ing dish and baking in the oven at
350 degrees for about 30 minutes
or until soft. Or, pierce the skins in
several spots, place in the micro
wave, and microwave on high
speed unul soft. Do not add water
when baking as squash retains
moisture.
Remove from the oven or micro
wave, split open, remove seeds and
pith, scoop out pumpkin. Mash and
use as desired.
The traditional way to prepare
cooked pumpkin from a whole ripe
one. is to wash the outside and dry
n. Then split in half with a knife.
Remove the seeds (the seeds may
be roasted and eaten after shelling).
Cut halves into strips and cut pulp
away from tough outer husk. Cut
the pulp into cubes, place in a
saucepan, and add a scant half a
cup of water. Do not add excess
water as pumpkin is quite watery in
itself. Cook over low heal until
cubes arc soft. Mash and use as
desired.
Steam a winter squash like acom
or butternut in the microwave. Add
canned pineapple or applesauce to
sweeten the squash.
Here are some recipes from the
workshop.
MICROWAVE
PUMPKIN SQUARES
I cup all-purpose flour
A cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 egg whiles or 1 whole egg
'A tcapsoon baking powder
A teaspoon baking soda
'A teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
'A cup chopped nuts
A cup raisins
Place all ingredients in a mixing
bowl. Blend at slow speed; then
beat at medium speed for one
minute. Spread batter in BxBx-inch
glass baking dish.
Place on an inverted saucer.
M icrowa ve at 50 percent power for
6 minutes, rotating 'A turn every 1
to 2 minutes. Increase power to
high. Microwave 5 to 6 minutes,
rotating A turn every 2 minutes.
Do this until very little unbaked
bailer appears through the bottom
of the dish. Let stand 5 to 10
minutes. Cool. Frost with light
cream cheese frosting.
Light Cream Cheese Frosting:
3-ounces light cream cheese
2 tablespoons soft butter
I '/j w 2 cups confectioners’
sugar
Combine cream cheese and but
ter in mixing bowl. Microwave on
high for 10 to 20 seconds or until
softened. Blend well. Beat in sugar
until it is of spreading consistency.
Spread on cooled squares.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
AUX FINES HERBS
I large butternut squash
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
'/« cup nonfat or low-fat chicken
stock
teaspoons minced fresh
chervil or 14 teaspoon dried chervil
'/j teaspoon fresh tarragon or
'/. teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh minced
parsley
I'A teaspoons fresh snipped
chives
Peel the squash, remove the
seeds and cut into V* -inch cubes.
To make peeling easier, prick the
squash with a fork and microwave
on high for 5 to 10 minutes. Heat
the oil m a large nonstick frying
pan over medium-low heal, and
add the onions and mushrooms.
Saute lor about 5 minutes or until
the onion softens. Add the squash
and nonfat chicken stock, cover
ughtly'and cook until the squash is
tender, approximately 20 minutes.
(If you are using dried chervil and
tarragon, add after 13 minutes of
cooking. Remove the cover, and
cook a minute or two longer to eva
porate most of the remaining liq
uid. Sprinkle on the parsley and
chives, and also the fresh chervil
and tarragon, if used. Makes 4 (1
cup) servings.
Althea Engle, center, prepares a variety of squash recipes while extension work
shop participants watch at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center.
SQUASH STUFFED
WITH RICE
1/j cups cooked rice
'/i cup chopped walnuts
A cup cracker meal
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
'A teaspoon ground sage
'/i teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
parsley
2 tablespoon brown sugar
Freshly ground pepper
3 buttercup or acorn squash,
halved and seeded
Combine rice, walnuts, cracker
meal, onion, egg whites, sage, nut
meg, parsley, brown sugar, and
black pepper.
Spoon mixture loosely into
squash halves. Bake in foil
covered pan until squash is tender.
Oven;. 350 degrees for 60 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
Beef Equal To Chicken
In Reducing Cholesterol
HOUSTON, Texas— When a
cholesterol-lowering diet is pre
scribed, new research indicates
lean beef can stay on the menu.
Researchers at Baylor College
of Medicine in Houston have
determined eating lean beef in a
cholesterol-lowering diet pro
duces reductions in levels of total
blood cholesterol and LDL (low
density lipoprotein—the “bad”
cholesterol) similar to those
achieved by eating chicken.
“The keys to keeping beef in a
heart-healthy, low-fat diet are the
amount of fat in the meat and the
portion size,” said Lynne Scott,
director of the Deßakey Heart
Center’s Diet Modification Clinic
at Baylor and The Methodist
Hospital and the study’s principal
investigator.
The beef and chicken used in
the study were prepared by scien
tists at Texas A&M University
and contained only 7 or 8 percent
fat. Portion sizes totaled less than
three ounces of meat per 1,000
calories daily.
The 13-week study involved
38 healthy men with cholesterol
levels higher than 240 mg/dl.
After a three-week period to sta
bilize their diets, the men were
provided with their food for 10
weeks.
For five weeks, all participants
SPICY APPLE-STUFFED
SQUASH
2 squashes, acom or butternut
I Mclntosh apple
'/• teaspoon ground cinnamon
'/• teaspoon ground nutmeg
I teaspoon butter
3 tablespoons brown or white
sugar
Wash squashes. Cut in half
crosswise; remove pith and seeds.
Place in a baking pan with cut side
down; bake at 350 degrees for 30
minutes. Mix spices and sugar
together. Core and slice.apple; mix
apple with spice-sugaif mixture.
Turn squash halves cut side up in
pan. Brush with butter. Arrange
apple slices in squash halves. Cov
er pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until
apples arc tender. Serve.
followed a typical American diet
with 40 percent of calories from
fat that contained both lean beef
and chicken entrees. Then, for
five weeks, half the men ate
chicken and half ate lean beef as
their only entree as part of the
American Heart Association’s
Step-One Diet for lowering cho
lesterol.
Cholesterol levels were
reduced by similar percentages in
both groups.
“The study results mean lean
beef and chicken are interchange
Be A Winner With Wool
MECHANICSBURG (Cum
berland Co.) The Pennsylvania
Make It With Wool Contest will be
held, Saturday, November 19, at
the Holiday Inn, Hanisburg West,
located at Mechanicsburg. The
contest brings attention to the
beauty and versatility of wool and
encourages its use. Sewing, knit
ting, and crocheting skills are also
recognized.
Competition divisions are pre
teen —l2 years and under; juniors
—l3- to 16-years; seniors —l7 to
24 years, and adults, 25 years and
older.
The state preteen winner will
receive a Baby Lock sewing
With Squash
ORANGE SPAGHETTI
SQUASH
1 spaghetti squash (about
3'/« pounds)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter,
softened
'A cup fresh orange juice
'A cup minced fresh parsley
leaves
I tablespoon julienne fresh
orange peel
In a kettle of boiling water, boil
the squash, turning it occasionally,
for one hour, drain it and let it cool
for 10 minutes. Cut the squash in
half and discard the seeds. Scrape
out the flesh with the lines of a
fork, transferring it to a serving
dish, season it with salt and pepper,
and dot it with butter. Drizzle the
orange juice over the squash,
sprinkle the squash with the pars
ley. and garnish it with the rind.
Makes 4 servings.
able in the Step-One Diet,” scott
said. “Now we can offer more vari
ety in cholesterol-lowering diets
and, hopefully, help patients avoid
becoming bored and abandoning
their healthier eating plans.”
Results from the study, which
was funded by the National Live
Stock and Meat Board, were pub
lished in the June 13 edition of the
Archives of Internal Medicine.
The Deßakey Heart Center is a
joint program of Baylor College of
Medicine and The Methodist Hos-
pital supporting cardiovascular
research, treatment and education.
machine, and the adult state win
ner will receive a Baby Lock scr
ger machine.
Only junior and senior state
winners are eligible to compete in
the national contest held February
Bto 11. at Washington D.C. where
more than $20,000 in prizes will be
awarded.
All entries for the state contest
must be received by November S.
For information on how to enter,
contact one of the following state
co-directors: Marie-France Reyes,
2103 Timbcrglcn Dr., Imperial,
PA 15126 (412) 695-0878. Janet
Mawhinney, R.D.#2, Box 141 D,
Waynesburg, PA 15370.