By the end of next week…I’m going to be out of town. This means I have a lot of fresh produce to work through before leaving. I never want anything to go to waste, so I make a point to use up everything before it goes bad and spoils.
It’s also Friday…and this morning my bin for my CSA was placed outside my front door. Soon after I got home tonight from work, my new one arrived with a whole new round of fresh produce. I still had quite a bit from the two previous bins before that…so I put myself on a mission tonight…to use up most of what I had from the old bin so this coming week I could focus on the new stuff.
Mission accomplished. I found an Eating Well recipe from 2011 that used 3 medium zucchini. I didn’t have zucchini but I had 3 medium yellow squashes in my crisper drawer just begging for some action. My usual go-to would be to sautee them in a pan and serve them up as a side. But I thought…why not try something new. And with the exception of an onion and some diced green chiles…I totally had everything else to make this super-simple and highly flavorful dish.
My entire meal was loaded with veggies tonight. And the star was definitely the mash that I made from the squash. I made it vegan…using Diaya cheddar shreds in place of reglar extra-sharp cheddar cheese. But if you aren’t affected by dairy…feel free to use regular cheddar cheese. My roommate and I both devoured this. So delicious.
Recipe: Vegan Yellow Squash Chile-Cheddar Mash
Servings: 2-4
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 1/4 pounds yellow squash (2-3 medium), halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 4 oz can diced green chiles, drained
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (I used Daiya Vegan Cheddar Shreds)
Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add zucchini and onion; stir to coat.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Stir in chiles and salt; cook until heated through, 1 minute more.
Transfer to a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher until chunky, not completely smooth.
Stir in cheese and serve immediately.
~*~*~
My onion and squash got this amazing caramelization on them from cooking. It really sweetened up the onions and the squash became super soft. After mashing it up…it really didn’t look like much. But once I mixed in the vegan cheese, everything started to come together. This is a rich tasting, sweet and savory sort of dish that would be delicious as a side as well. Forget mashed potatoes…serve up some squash mash. It’s packed with flavor and SUPER healthy too. My roommate and I split the entire pan as our entree, and that was only 238 calories for that huge serving on that plate. I served it up with oven roasted broccolini and some herbed corn off the cob to complete a veggie-packed, but quite filling dinner.
We’re already talking about making it again. Really delish!! Go ahead…try something different with your squash or zucchini. It’s worth it.
The Celiathlete 