This is a guest post by our newest personal trainer, Megan.
Butternut squash is one of my favorite foods! Did you know that one half-cup of butternut squash provides 150% of your required daily Vitamin A, and about 25% of your daily Vitamin C?
If you’ve never tried butternut squash, this would be a good week to do so, and this dish is a great way to try it out. I made it for my family last Thanksgiving, and it was a big hit with everyone!
Wild Rice Pilaf with Roasted Butternut Squash
To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth, not chicken.
1 ½ cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped carrot
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
3 cups cooked wild rice*
1 tsp chopped fresh sage (or ½ tsp dried sage)
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup dried cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Note that your rice should be already cooked.*)
2. Mix squash, olive oil, salt, and pepper until squash is evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until squash is roasted and tender, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the sage, cooked wild rice, and broth to the pan. Cook until the liquid from the broth is absorbed, about 5-6 minutes.
5. Stir in the roasted squash and dried cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh celery leaves if desired, and serve immediately.
*To cook wild rice, combine 1 cup dried rice with 3 cups broth or water and ½ tsp salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered until rice is tender, about 45-60 minutes. You can make the rice the night before, if you like.
(Original recipe and photo from Wisconsin From Scratch)
Following nutrition data via myfitnesspal.com, based on 4 servings, made with vegetable broth:
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings 4.0 | |
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value * | |
Calories 308 | |
Total Fat 9 g | 14 % |
Saturated Fat 3 g | 13 % |
Monounsaturated Fat 5 g | |
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g | |
Trans Fat 0 g | |
Cholesterol 8 mg | 3 % |
Sodium 132 mg | 5 % |
Potassium 527 mg | 15 % |
Total Carbohydrate 54 g | 18 % |
Dietary Fiber 5 g | 22 % |
Sugars 16 g | |
Protein 6 g | 12 % |
Vitamin A | 232 % |
Vitamin C | 35 % |
Calcium | 6 % |
Iron | 9 % |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. |