The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Today’s Squash Fest post is written by Carrie, a dedicated advocate of eating whole foods and living a life that’s full of healthy balance. As a food writer and recipe developer since 2007, she’s proud to share fresh, delicious, and original gluten free recipes on GingerLemonGirl.com. Carrie also loves leading her local gluten free/celiac support group in Eastern NC. Please visit Gingerlemongirl.com for more of Carrie’s recipes, gluten free baking tips, and to contact her.



I’m delighted to share a post today on Linda’s wonderful blog “The Gluten Free Homemaker.” My name is Carrie and I’m the author of Gingerlemongirl.com. I’ve been gluten free since August 2007. Prior to being gluten free I didn’t really understand the concept of eating seasonally. Now, 4 years later we buy a half-share in a local CSA every year, we buy local grass-fed meats, free range chickens, and even eggs from local farms. We know the people in our community. We know that our vegetables are grown without chemicals and that the animals we are consuming are raised in an ethical environment. It’s amazing to me how important these things have become and how much more aware we are of the foods we eat since I had to change my diet.

I’ve realized now that my body craves the foods that are grown in season. In summer I want fresh juicy tomatoes, strawberries, and fresh, organic, non-gmo, sweet corn. In the fall I start craving apples, kale, and all kinds of winter squash.

Winter and fall squash are so abundant this time of year.  They are versatile and easy vegetables to cook at home. You can buy canned squash, but I’ve learned that it’s actually pretty darn easy to roast them in your own kitchen!

Basically when I’m roasting any type of fall squash: pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash, etc.. here is how I do it. I learned this method from reading The Spunky Coconut Cookbook. After reading how Kelly cooked her pumpkins every year, I was kicking myself for all those years of trying to pry open a rock hard pumpkin with a dull knife. Try this once and you’ll never try to cut open a fall squash before it’s been cooked again!


How to Roast a Butternut Squash or any Fall Squash:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil.

3. Simply put the whole squash on the pan and place it in the oven for about an hour.

4. After an hour check to see if the squash is done by inserting a sharp knife in the middle. If it goes in quickly and feels soft your squash is done. Larger squashes and pumpkins can take up to an hour and a half to cook thoroughly.

5. Once the squash is done, remove the pan from the oven. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the stringy stuff & the seeds from the middle with a spoon.

6. Then you can cube the squash with a knife if you need cubes, or you can scoop out the squash with a spoon.

7. Use the squash in any recipe that calls for cooked squash. I love using fall squashes in chili, as a pudding, for pie, and actually my favorite way to eat it is simply mashed with ghee or coconut oil with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top! Enjoy.

8. You can store the squash in an airtight container in the fridge for several days or for several months in the freezer.

Another great easy method of roasting fall squashes is to cook them in the crockpot. Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free has a wonderful tutorial on this process.





Be sure to come back next Thursday when Aubree of Living Free will share a recipe for Acorn Squash Soup.

Labels: Squash Fest