Butternut squash, what exactly are you? A vegetable? A fruit? A nut? Like the coconut, the butternut squash is an ingredient that just seems to perplex botanists and chefs alike. Luckily for me, I got to know the butternut squash a little better while preparing this week’s recipe.
While it’s unfortunate that it has to be raining on one of the few three-day weekends of the year, it gives me a better reason to curl up with a bowl of my favorite comfort food: mac ‘n cheese! It was on my search for a healthy mac ‘n cheese recipe that I came across the butternut squash. With its sweet and nutty flavor, butternut squash adds a new twist to creamy mac ‘n cheese sauce. The best part is that its bright orange color even tricks you into thinking the sauce purely has cheese in it! The orange color comes from the high level of carotenoids, which help protect against heart disease. The butternut squash’s low fat content and high fiber content also make it a heart-healthy ingredient. Most of all, the butternut squash is known for its high vitamin C level, meaning it has lots of antioxidants for lowering damage to the body caused by toxic chemicals. (more…)
