‘Tis the season for all things squash and root veg.
Recently I started a local grocery delivery box which focuses on providing fresh local and in season produce. Now, normally I am pretty haphazard with my meal planning and grocery shopping for the week. I will just come up with a random list of foods I want to eat for the week and then buy what I need to make those things. I don’t really think about what is in season. Part of it is the convenience of living in a big city when most produce is available year round. But I like the idea of focusing a bit more on what is in season, and of course this ends up being much more budget friendly too!
So enter squash season. The past few weeks each of my grocery delivery boxes has included a kind of squash. Most recently I received a deilcata squash.
What does delicata squash taste like?
I would say a delicata squash is like most squashes. It has a slightly sweet flavour. Almost like a sweet potato. As with all squashes, there are some seeds in the centre that need to be scooped out. Those can also be cleaned, roasted and eaten. But personally I am not a fan of the seeds so I just toss them. The rest of the squash is edible – even the skin. The skin of a delicata squash is actually quite thin, so I don’t bother to peel it before cooking.
How to cook a delicata squash
In my opinion, the best way to bring out the subtle sweet flavour of any squash is to roast it in the oven. The heat will help to caramelize the squash and if you cut them thinly, the chips will start to brown and crisp up turning them into an absolutely delightful crunchy snack. Since you don’t have to worry about peeling it, the delicata squash is actually quite easy to cook.
Feel free to top them with whatever seasonings you like. My version provides a salty cheesy topping using nutritional yeast that goes well with the subtle sweetness of the squash and makes them so addictive! And of course it is totally Paleo and Whole30 compliant so you can feel good about eating these squash chips!
Try them in place of chips or popcorn for your next movie night snack!
Delicata Squash Chips
Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash
- 1-2 tbsp avocado oil (or avocado oil spray)
Seasoning Mix
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F (218C).
- Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Trim the ends of your delicata squash and slice in half lengthwise.
- Scrape out the seeds inside the squash (seeds can be washed and roasted separately, or just toss them).
- Thinly slice the squash – like a potato chip. The thinner the better for maximum crispness. I like them to be the thickness of a quarter.
- Spray a non-stick baking sheet (or parchment lined baking sheet) with avocado oil spray.
- Add the sliced squash, spray with more avocado oil spray and sprinkle with the seasoning mix. Give everything a good toss to coat and spread out in a thin layer. Try not to have the pieces overlapping or touching.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Give everything a toss in the baking sheet, and then bake for additional 5-10 minutes till golden brown and crisp all over.
