In honor of Orange October, the San Francisco Giants being in the World Series, it being fall, and my love of pumpkin…I present you with kabocha squash-aka Japanese pumpkin.

This squash has the texture of butternut squash (they’re pretty much sisters) and tastes like a pumpkin cross bred with a sweet potato.

Here is a whole kabocha. Tough outside, but very cut able with a sharp knife. Some have warts and mis-coloring on the outside, but that is okay. When picking out a kabocha, as long as there are no punctures or mold growing, it should be good to eat.

 

When you cut open the kabocha, it has a beautiful orange color. (Yay Giants)!

Like Cinderella’s pumpkin car, kabocha is a magical vegetable. Who wants to eat this? I’ll tell you!

• If you want to lose weight: 1 cup of kabocha has about 70 calories. Not bad! Compare this to 1 cup of sweet potatoes (180 calories) it is about half. Kabocha is a great substitute for potato recipes.
• If you want to see well and look good: Kabocha has tons of beta-carotene (this makes the pretty orange inside). Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A helps with your vision and makes your skin and hair shiny and pretty (boys I know you just got excited). 1 cup of kabocha has 70% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A.
• If you have diabetes or are counting carbohydrates: 1 cup of kabocha has only 7g of carbohydrates, that is less than 1 exchange!
• If you want to feel full between meals: kabocha has fiber, which helps slow down digestion, making you feel more full between meals. Plus, it helps you poop good 😉

So, how exactly do I eat this guy, you ask? Here is a basic recipe I use to roast kabocha.

1. Preheat oven to 400* F
2. Wash outside of the squash with warm water.
3. With a sharp knife, cut into half. I usually start at the stem end because the bottom is a better base.
4. Remove seeds with a spoon. (You can keep the seeds and roast them if you want!)
   
5. Cut into half moons. See below:
6. Toss kabocha with cinnamon (enough to coat the squash) and 1Tbsp of olive oil.
7. Place kabocha on baking sheet lined with foil (I’m lazy and this helps with cleaning later)
8. Put into the preheated oven. Cook for 30 minutes, flipping them over midway.
9. ENJOY!! I always add more cinnamon at the end…but I am a cinnamon lover.

You can add this to any meal!

1. If you add it to curries, I recommend cubing it (take the moons and cut them into smaller pieces).
2. For soups: Simply puree them with a vegetable base soup and add whatever you desire! You don’t have to remove the skin.
3. For pie: Cook soft, for about 40 minutes instead of 30. Remove skin after. Smash down and use in replacement of pumpkin for a recipe.
4. Eat it alone: I eat this simple recipe with cinnamon for breakfast with 2 hard boiled egg whites and am full until lunch!