CIDER-ROASTED SQUASH

This is a really nice late summer early fall recipe. You will need 4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash, 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges, 2 tablespoons apple cider, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1&1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg:
Place the squash and onion in a greased 13-in.x 2-in. baking dish. Combine the cider, oil, brown suga, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; pour over squash mixture. Cover and bake at 450 degrees for approx. 35 minutes or until tender, stir every 10 minutes. This dish will feed 4-6 servings. Enjoy.

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata), also known in Australia and New Zealand as Butternut pumpkin[1], is a type of winter squash. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It has yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp. When ripe, it turns increasingly deep orange, and becomes sweeter and richer. It grows on a vine. The most popular variety, the Waltham Butternut, originated in Stow, Massachusetts, on what is now the Butternut Farm Golf Club.[2]

Butternut squash GratinButternut squash is a fruit that can be roasted and toasted and also be puréed (to make a soup) or mashed into soups, casseroles, breads, and muffins.

In Australia it is regarded as a pumpkin, and used interchangeably with other types of pumpkin.

It is also commonly used in South Africa. It is often used in soup or can be cooked on a grill. Grilled butternut is normally either spiced with spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon or the de-seeded centre stuffed with other vegetables for example Spinach and Feta before wrapped in foil and then grilled. The grilled butternut is often served as a side dish to “braai's” (barbeques) and the soup as a starter dish.

It is a good source of fibre, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. It is also an excellent source of vitamin A.

[edit] Origin
Wikispecies has information related to: Cucurbita moschata
Butternut squash, raw Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 188 kJ (45 kcal)
Carbohydrates 11.69 g
Sugars 2.20 g
Dietary fiber 2.0 g
Fat .10 g
Protein 1.0 g
Vitamin A equiv. 532 μg (59%)
- beta-carotene 4226 μg (39%)
Thiamine (Vit. B1) .10 mg (8%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) .02 mg (1%)
Niacin (Vit. B3) 1.20 mg (8%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) .40 mg (8%)
Vitamin B6 .154 mg (12%)
Folate (Vit. B9) 27 μg (7%)
Vitamin C 21.0 mg (35%)
Calcium 48 mg (5%)
Iron .70 mg (6%)
Magnesium 34 mg (9%)
Phosphorus 33 mg (5%)
Potassium 352 mg (7%)
Zinc .15 mg (1%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database

The butternut and related species of squash originate from around Mexico—separate from pumpkins or "winter squash", which originate in South America.[1]

[edit] Preparation, precautions, allergic reactions
The fruit is prepared by removing the skin, stalk and seeds, which are not usually eaten or cooked.[3] However, the seeds are edible, either raw or roasted and the skin is also edible and softens when roasted. One of the most common ways to prepare butternut squash is roasting. To do this, the squash is cut in half lengthwise, lightly brushed with cooking oil, and placed cut side down on a baking sheet. It is then baked for 45 minutes or until it is softened. Once roasted, it can be eaten in a variety of ways as outlined above. [4]