Skip to main content

Squash Bites with Yogurt Dip (Makes 20 squash bites)



In my family, holiday meals have always included squash. This year, we are hosting Christmas Eve dinner and I will be making these squash bites. They are a delicious appetizer for your next holiday party.  
Henry shows off his new penguin cup.

This recipe is Henry-approved.
Squash Bite Ingredients
1 small butternut squash or medium acorn squash (about 2 cups)
2 Tablespoons fresh sage (about 8 leaves) or 2 teaspoons dried sage
2 Tablespoons green onion
1 cup panko or other dried bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Yogurt Dip Ingredients
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon fresh sage (about 4 leaves) or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 Tablespoon green onion
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Squash sliced and ready to steam in the microwave.
Directions
Rinse the squash. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and pulp with a large spoon. Place the squash skin-side down in a microwave safe dish. Pour 2 Tablespoons of water into the cavity of each squash half. Cover and microwave on high until the squash is tender when poked with a fork (about 12 minutes). Be careful when removing the lid as the steam will be very hot. Set the squash aside to cool slightly.

While the squash is cooling, finely chop the fresh sage and green onion. In a medium bowl, combine the sage, green onion, panko, egg, lemon juice, cumin and black pepper. Using a large spoon, scoop the squash out of its skin. Add the cooked squash to the sage mixture. Stir in butter until it melts.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-low in a large skillet. Drop tablespoons of squash mixture into the heated pan. Cook until the bottom edges start to brown. Gently flip and cook until browned on both sides. Add more oil to the pan between each batch.

While the squash bites are cooking, prepare the yogurt dip. Finely chop the fresh sage and green onion. In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, sage, green onion, lemon juice, cumin and black pepper. You can even prepare the yogurt dip a day ahead and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the squash bites.
Squash Bites with Yogurt Dip
How your kids can help

  • 1-year old: Rinsing the squash.
  • 2-year old: Tearing the fresh sage leaves into small pieces.
  • 3-year old: Removing the squash seeds and pulp with a large spoon.
  • 4-year old: Using a large spoon to scoop the cooked squash out of its skin.
  • 5-year old: Measuring the ingredients and stirring the yogurt dip.
Henry shares a sage leaf.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

UPDATE (10/2/12): Unfortunately, I did not hear back from our original winner. Congratulations to our alternate winner for "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook" -- Robin Pfefer. UPDATE (9/29/12): I am happy to announce that Kashia Clopper is the winner of "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook". When I was first thinking about using the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) model for Henry, I was unsure about whether it would really work. I was excited about BLW’s claims of less stressful meals that the whole family could share together. Plus, I was all for encouraging Henry to gain new skills by learning about the shapes, textures, colors, smells and flavors of food. This sounded ideal in theory, but would it work in practice? After some fun but ineffective attempts at letting Henry feed himself, I went in search of resources to learn more about BLW. I needed to learn how to prepare meals for our family in which Henry could participate. That’s when I found “ The Baby-Led ...
16 comments
Read more

Five-Spice Salmon with Zucchini Spears (Serves 2 + baby)

As I mentioned yesterday, fish can be an outstanding choice for babies. It is a very healthy option. Plus, it melts into small pieces that are easy for Henry to chew and swallow. This recipe is Henry-approved. I've heard some people are intimidated by cooking fish, but there's no reason to be anxious. Grilling fish gives it a smoky flavor. Just be sure to oil the barbecue so the fish doesn't stick to the grate. The fish is ready when it easily flakes apart with a fork. This is likely to be our last grilling recipe for a while, since the weather is cooling down for autumn. Five-spice salmon and zucchini on the grill Ingredients 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon Chinese five-spice 1/3 cup orange or pineapple juice 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced 1 10-ounce salmon fillet 1 medium zucchini Henry enjoying a salmon dinner. Directions Whisk together the first five ingredients in a small bowl to create the ma...
4 comments
Read more

Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example. As parents, we are the first role models for Henry. He will learn from our example, so Daddy and I need to eat our fruits and vegetables too. I am not a big fan of mango, but I let Henry watch me eat it with a smile on my face. Then he wants to try some mango too. Henry is more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when he sees Mommy and Daddy eat them too. A recent study confirmed that when parents lead by example their children have a more nutritious diet. The best way to inspire healthy eating habits is to demonstrate them first-hand to your children. Another study found that when parents ate an extra serving of fruit or vegetables each day, their child ate an additional half serving. Yes, it is important to talk with kids about food. But don’t just tell your child to eat their vegetables, let them see you eating a balanced meal that includes plenty of fruits and veggies. It may not always seem like it,...
3 comments
Read more