A crunchy, aromatic topping of savory granola is an easy, make-ahead way to turn a side dish of simple, mashed squash into something fabulous. The nut-free granola here is made with oats and seeds, including fennel seeds for their lovely anise flavor, and seasoned with cinnamon, ginger and thyme. You might want to make a double batch becasue it’s great on sweet potatoes and savory yogurt bowls too.
Ingredients
For the granola:
¼ cup old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon unsalted hulled pumpkin seeds
½ tablespoon unsalted hulled sunflower seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon egg white
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
For the squash:
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
½ tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
To make the granola, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl toss together the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, honey and egg white. Pour the oil mixture over the oat mixture and toss to coat evenly. Spread onto a small baking sheet and bake until it is nicely browned and nearly crisped, about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice as it cooks to ensure even browning. Stir in the thyme and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. Granola will crisp further as it cools. Granola will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To make the squash, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then rub the cut sides with the oil. Place face down into a baking dish and cook until the squash has softened, about 1 hour. Allow to cool until it is easy to handle, then scoop out the flesh and place it into a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat with the orange juice, butter, honey and salt. Mash with a potato masher until well mashed and the ingredients are incorporated. Serve the squash topped with the granola.
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: ½ cup squash and about 1 ½ tablespoons granola
Calories 230; Total Fat 10 g; (Sat Fat 3 g); Protein 4g; Carb 36 g; Total Sugars 12g (includes 7g added sugars) Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 10 mg; Sodium 210 mg
Copyright 2018 Ellie Krieger. All rights reserved.
