Squash are a delicious, versatile vegetable that can be combined with an array of different ingredients to create tasty dishes. Zucchini, a summer squash, and butternut squash, a winter vegetable, are two squashes that are both healthy and very appetizing.

Baked Zucchini with Savory Sauce

Ingredients

Zucchini
• 3 zucchinis
• ½ cup of Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup of dried breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten

Sauce
• 2 plum tomatoes, halved
• 2 small red peppers
• ½ cup of cubed French bread (sans crusts)
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons of smoked almonds
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of Spanish paprika
• 1 garlic clove

Directions

Zucchini: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut each zucchini in half, and then cut each half into 8 wedges. In a large mixing bowl, combine both types of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Dip the zucchini wedges in the beaten eggs then dredge them in the breadcrumb mix. Place the pieces on a lightly greased baking sheet and cook for approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with the dipping sauce

Sauce: Preheat the broiler. Cut and seed the bell peppers and remove the membranes. Place the peppers (skin side up) and tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes or until the outsides are blackened. Place the peppers and tomatoes in a plastic bag and let stand for approximately 15 minutes. Once the time is up, peel the peppers and tomatoes, and then chop them into tiny pieces, saving any liquid. Place the peppers, tomatoes and the rest of the sauce ingredients into a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds of peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash
• 3 cups of fat-free chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped sage
• ½ cup of chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Use a large stock pot to sauté the garlic, onion and olive oil for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the sage, salt, pepper, chicken broth and butternut squash. Bring the contents to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the butternut squash is tender. Puree half of the soup in a food processor, and then add back to the stockpot, or use a stick blender and puree until the soup is partially smooth, leaving some chunks. Garnish with fresh sage and serve warm or hot.

*Feature Image Credit: Allrecipes.com