Squash Crisp

Kind of like sweet potato casserole without all the sugar, but still tasty.

Servings: 6
Time: 45 minutes to roast the squash, 40 minutes to assemble and bake the crisp

Ingredients

1 acorn squash

1/2 c milk (almond, dairy, whatever you like)

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 egg

Dash salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

6-8 drops liquid stevia
1/4 c unrefined sugar or maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

1 c rolled oats

1/4 c oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Dash ground nutmeg

1/4 c butter, softened

1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans

To make the squash easier to cut, microwave for 2-3 minutes. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Place in a 9x13 baking dish, cut sides down. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-45 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven, turn cut sides up. Allow to cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, combine the topping ingredients (all except the walnuts or pecans) in a small bowl. Use a fork or pastry cutter to mix until the butter is evenly distributed. Fold in the nuts.

When the squash can be handled, peel away the skin and discard. Mash the flesh in the baking dish. Add milk, butter, egg, spices, sweetener, and vanilla. Mix with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is relatively smooth. Sprinkle the oat topping over the squash mixture. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, until nuts are toasted and the crisp topping is golden brown. 

Serve on its own as a side, or with yogurt or whipped cream for dessert.

Peach Syrup

Time & Servings

• 15 minutes
• Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 3-4 fresh peaches or about 4 cups of frozen peach slices
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 drops pure stevia extract, more or less to taste
• Substitute 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or honey or granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon glucomannan powder
• Substitute about 1 teaspoon cornstarch or 2 teaspoons flour

Overview

For fresh peaches, slice them and discard the pits. Add the sweetener and thickener of your choice. Simmer until thickened and bubbly.

15 minutes before serving

Frozen peaches are easier to use for this. Fresh work just as well, though you will have the added step of slicing them first. You can remove the skins first if you don't want those in the syrup. 

To slice fresh peaches, I make a cut all the way around the peach, starting and ending at the stem end. This divides the peach in half, but it will still cling to its pit. So I make a second cut, again beginning and ending at the stem end, that cuts the peach into quarters. Now wiggle the quarters. They might be a little reluctant, but they'll come free with a little pressure and twist. 

10 minutes before serving

Put your peaches into a saucepan with the water. Stir in the sweetener and the thickener. Put the mixture over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. If the mixture really starts to boil, lower the heat. A soft simmer is perfect. A rolling boil risks burning since all the water will evaporate in a flash.

When the liquid in the pot has a syrupy consistency, turn off the heat. The syrup can sit in its pot until the rest of the meal's components are ready.

Stevia? Coconut sugar? Glucomannan?

Stevia, coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup are the sweeteners I reach for first. If you are just beginning your whole foods journey, using unfamiliar sweeteners might be too much. That's okay. Making your own syrup from peaches is a big step up from buying maple-flavored corn syrup. Small, sustainable changes are more beneficial than huge, sweeping changes that you can't keep up. 

Glucomannan is a starch-free alternative to cornstarch or flour.

For more information on these and other foods, follow the above links or go to my Info Morsels page.