Why I never turn down free squash...

A friend gave me a couple of squash that turned out to be a hybrid – they planted spaghetti squash that cross-pollinated with pumpkins. The result was a round, smooth, orangey-yellow squash with rock-hard shells.

Doesn’t matter. Once cooked, it seems squashes are pretty much interchangeable. I cut them in half, scooped out the seeds, put them in a roasting pan with a little water in the bottom and baked them in a 400 degree oven for an hour. After scooping out the insides, my food processor did a lovely job of turning it into about four cups of puree. A blender will work, too, although not as quickly. You can freeze it and use it in soups or baking... or for the delicious smoothie shown here.

Got this from the Forks Over Knives cookbook. I think it’s WAY more delicious than eggnog, with none of the fat, none of the sugar, and oodles more nutrients! (If you like rum in your eggnog, you might want to try rum extract in place of the vanilla.)

 

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

For each serving:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

½ cup pumpkin puree

½ ice cubes

4 dates, pitted and chopped (I used coconut-covered date rolls which are already soft)

¼ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and creamy.