Highlighting Seasonal Produce: Pumpkins & Squash

In this free cooking demonstration, Anca Soloschi, MS, RDN – a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with Sound Dietitians, LLC – explores three versatile ways to cook with fall’s most budget-friendly seasonal produce. Co-sponsored by Skagit Regional Health and hosted by Stilly Valley Health Connections, this class is part of our free class recordings on healthy cooking.

The three recipes demonstrated in this class:

• Butternut Squash and Lentil Curry – onion and garlic sautéed as the base, then cubed butternut squash and rinsed green lentils simmered together in water until soft, seasoned with 2 tablespoons of curry powder and 1 tablespoon of garam masala, and finished with ribboned dino kale wilted in at the end; anti-inflammatory, high in fiber, and rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, and plant protein; serves equally well over rice, stuffed in a wrap, or as a standalone meal; stores ~5 days in the fridge
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins – a spiced pumpkin batter (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and a 2:1 baking powder to baking soda ratio) layered around a cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk filling, then topped with raw pumpkin seeds before baking ~23 minutes; gluten-free and vegan substitutions both covered; freezes well and is best reheated briefly before eating
• Delicata Squash Agrodolce – delicata squash cut into half-moons with the skin left on (no peeling required), roasted at 375°F until caramelized, then drizzled with a classic Italian sweet-sour sauce of toasted raw pine nuts, sliced Fresno chili, vinegar, and honey or maple syrup reduced to a syrup, finished off the heat with chopped sage and fresh lime zest; stores up to a week in the fridge

Throughout the class, Anca covers why garlic goes into the pan after the onions, how to safely peel and cube hard squash with a knife rather than a peeler, why muffin batter should be folded as little as possible, why raw nuts and seeds should always be used for baking rather than pre-roasted, and why fresh herbs and citrus zest are added off the heat to keep their flavor.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to technical issues, our camera capabilities were limited during this Zoom session, which impacted the video quality. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your understanding.