Butternut Squash Fries

I keep trying butternut squash.  I like it roasted and in soup.  Hubs has not yet found an incarnation he likes, but I am nothing if not persistent.  It’s a marvelous veggie because it’s low carb, low cal, and low fat.  It’s got about a third of the calories of potatoes.  Since we’ve been loaded with excesses around here since Thanksgiving, lightening the caloric load wherever we can is an excellent idea.  I love regular oven fries, sweet potato fries, and zucchini fries, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this very water laden veggie.  The end result–though I went a bit heavy on the cayenne–was a marvelous sort of combination of sweet potato and zucchini in flavor.  Which sounds weird but is really quite tasty.  They won’t crisp up the same way a potato will, but it’s a really nice, different side.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into fries, the thinner the better
• olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• .5 tsp cumin
• .5 tsp garlic powder
• .5 tsp kosher salt
• sprinkle fresh ground pepper
• sprinkle cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. You’re gonna need a rack for this, suspended over a baking sheet for maximum heat circulation.
2. Toss your squash in a drizzle of olive oil.
3. Sprinkle on all the spices, and toss thoroughly.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Layer over the wire racks, not too close.  You don’t wanna crowd.  You might need 2 trays for this much squash.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
7. Serve immediately.

Printable version.