roasted kabocha squash

I don't know how I lived my life thus far without knowing what a Kabocha squash was. But on a recent search for acorn squash at Whole Foods, I stumbled upon this little gem that is now one of my favorite foods. 

The Kabocha squash, also known as the Japanese pumpkin, is not only delicious; it's healthy. It has just 40 calories and 7 carbs per cup and is a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, iron, some B vitamins, and fiber.

It's an easy dish to prepare. And I love that you can eat the skin!

instructions:

1. cut squash in half using large kitchen knife

2. scoop out seeds using large metal spoon

3. slice squash (1/4-1/2 inch slices, depending on preference; thinner slices will be crispier when roasted)

4. spread onto olive oil-misted, foil-lined pan 

5. mist with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

6. place into oven at 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes (depending on how thick your slices are and how crispy you want them)

7. remove from oven and sprinkle with garlic powder (sometimes I will add some rosemary or thyme at this point as well)

8. place back into oven and bake for another 5 minutes (any longer and the garlic powder and dried spices will burn)

9. serve and enjoy!

Kabocha squash is great as a side dish with any meal or by itself as a snack. You can serve it fresh out of the oven or even enjoy it cold from the fridge as leftovers! (Of course, you can always reheat it in the microwave as well).

Sometimes I mix it up and add various toppings such as:
- Artisana coconut butter
- Coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
- Nut butter

Just yesterday I made some homemade macadamia nut butter (by throwing some raw macadamia nuts and a dash of honey into my Vitamix). I sprinkled that onto of my squash along with some coconut butter and cinnamon, and it was a delicious, dessert-like snack!