Tips for a butternut squash and sweet potato mash

Amateur1

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Looking for any advice on the following. I'm looking for something healthy and low calorie yet tasty (hence the olive oil).
A few specific questions.
How much olive oil should I use? I thought the oil would enhance the flavour of the spices, but most seemed to stay in the pan when I took it out the oven.
I tried covering the seeds when grilling, but didn't hear them pop, so perhaps that was a bad idea. Any thoughts on how best to grill the seeds, so they become hard, but don't burn?
Apart from mashing, what's the best way to pulverise the skins, so they don't appear so unsightly?
Do you think 30 minutes in the oven was long enough or too long? I had some after 15 minutes with the rest of my dinner then let it go another 15 minutes. It seemed OK. How to know when it's properly cooked.
I'd like to have used some more vegetables, but my steamer wouldn't fit anything else. I'm thinking of substituting a swede for the sweet potatoes.

Leave skins on squash and potatoes as they are healthy.
Grill squash seeds for 15 minutes in oven at 200c
Slice butternut squash and put into steamer for 30 minutes.
Slice 2 sweet potatoes and put into the same steamer after 15 minutes.
Empty from the steamer into bowl and mash. Add butternut squash seeds.
Add 2 tbsp mixed herbs, 1 tbsp of Thyme, 1 tsp of salt and 6 tbsp of olive oil.
Mix through.
Transfer to a tray and put in oven for 30 minutes at 190c.
 
Most of your questions are trial and error done by the cook. The spices might be better served if after you toast them to put them in a spice grinder and use them as a rub. Seeds that don't burn when put in an oven is totally reliant on how observant the cook is. Personally I would roast potatoes and squash with a spice rub using just enough olive oil to mix well, but that's just my opinion. Cheers
 
I'm a tad confused as to what it is your are trying to do to be honest because you're cooking the veg for almost an hour in total and that's well and truly overcooked.

We can't tell you how long to steam your veg because we've no idea on the size of the slices. A 5mm thick slice will take considerably shorter time to cook than a 20mm thick slice.

Why steam? The slices are gong to block the steamer holes causing uneven cooking. Dicing would work better and make cooking much more even. From your instructions in imagining a butternut squash sliced whole, so big thick circles of squash. Similar with the sweet potatoes.

You'll need to make sure you drain the water off carefully before mashing. Personally I'd just boil the diced veg especially if you are using the entire squash and 2 sweet potatoes. Yes some nutrients are lost to boiling, but don't over cook the veg. Less is lost to steaming but that amount of veg wouldn't fit in my steamer and cook evenly. A pressure cooker would work better and use less water than boiling but timings all depend on dice sizes or slice thickness.

Skins, unless you put it through a food processor, the skins are always going to be there and visible. Just accept it if you want the skins and make it a more rustic mash with larger chunks of veg in it rather than a perfect smooth mash.

I'd personally ditch the squash seeds and add ready shelled pumpkin seeds or similar. Those inside the squash are usually very small and really need to be shelled.

Add your herbs and spices, then just reheat if needed. Don't cook for another half hour in the oven. It's killing the nutrients for one and over cooking it for another.

Oil, add whatever quantity suits your taste. A couple of tablespoons for an entire squash and 2 sweet potatoes would be more than enough, if it is even needed.
 
I would concur with SatNav.
healthy and low calorie yet tasty (hence the olive oil).
Who said that olive oil was the only "healthy" alternative? There are many other oils which could resolve the problem.
Why low calorie? Are you on a diet?
How much olive oil should I use?
As much as you feel comfortable with. It´s a question of taste, taste and taste.
I thought the oil would enhance the flavour of the spices,
You´re not using spices at all; you´re using herbs. Anyway, oil doesn´t enhance herbs/spices; it´s merely a vehicle for infusing the flavour.
Squash/pumpkin seeds: don´t even dream of trying to roast them in their skins, unless you´ve done it a thousand times. Not worth the effort . Just buy the kernels, no problem.
How to know when it's properly cooked.
That depends entirely on your personal taste. From what I´ve seen , you may like your veg extremely well cooked. I don´t.
There´s no such thing as "properly cooked" because that depends on each person´s taste.
You want more veg? Put them in there - but if you only cook things in a steamer, you may be limited.l
 
Add 2 tbsp mixed herbs, 1 tbsp of Thyme, 1 tsp of salt and 6 tbsp of olive oil.

You´re not using spices at all; you´re using herbs. Anyway, oil doesn´t enhance herbs/spices; it´s merely a vehicle for infusing the flavour.

my only guess is that the OP, Amateur1 has heard about the indian "technique" of tadka or tarka which is (for the OP's clarification) the tempering of spices in oil where whole (or ground) spices are heated in oil and then either stirred into the dish or poured over the dish at the end. But as you rightly point out KK, the OP is using herbs not spices.

I've pulled this off the net as a good reference to tempering.
Source What is Tadka? The Indian Tempering Trick That Will Transform Your Cooking
In English, tadka is known as “tempering.” It is the technique in which whole or ground spices are briefly roasted in oil or ghee (clarified butter) in order to release their essential oils, thus making their flavor more aromatic. This technique is popular across India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and is also called chounk, tarka, bagar, and other names in various languages. After roasting, the tadka is added to the dish, oil and all. It is a common addition to dal (Indian lentil soup) and sambar (lentil stew with tamarind broth), though the tadka technique may also be used to make curry. Adding tadka to a dish is done either at the beginning of a dish or as a finishing touch.

It is possible to use herbs in tempering, but typically these are bay leaves or curry leaves. I honestly can't think of any others that I've used when making a tadka.

I'm also surprised at the quantities of herbs being added though I have assumed that the OP Is referring to dried herbs simply because of "mixed herbs" which you don't typically refer to with fresh.
 
my only guess is that the OP, Amateur1 has heard about the indian "technique" of tadka or tarka which is (for the OP's clarification) the tempering of spices in oil where whole (or ground) spices are heated in oil and then either stirred into the dish or poured over the dish at the end. But as you rightly point out KK, the OP is using herbs not spices.

I've pulled this off the net as a good reference to tempering.
Source What is Tadka? The Indian Tempering Trick That Will Transform Your Cooking


It is possible to use herbs in tempering, but typically these are bay leaves or curry leaves. I honestly can't think of any others that I've used when making a tadka.

I'm also surprised at the quantities of herbs being added though I have assumed that the OP Is referring to dried herbs simply because of "mixed herbs" which you don't typically refer to with fresh.
Sounds legit.
 
Last edited:
Thanks all. I've never heard of tadka. My cooking is trial and error with guidance from you.
 
Looking for any advice on the following. I'm looking for something healthy and low calorie yet tasty (hence the olive oil).
d 6 tbsp of olive oil.
Mix through.
Transfer to a tray and put in oven for 30 minutes at 190c.

I will add that 6 tbsps of olive oil (or any oil) stacks up to a whopping 720 calories (approx.). I would never use that much.

I think what we have here is a recipe for a tray bake (or sort of gratin). The root veg are pre-cooked (in this case steamed) and then mashed with herbs and put in the oven to go a bit crispy on top.

As has been said above, its much easier to simply boil (or even microwave) the root vegetables rather than steam and forget trying to roast squash seeds!

May I ask the source of the recipe Amateur1?
 
I will add that 6 tbsps of olive oil (or any oil) stacks up to a whopping 720 calories (approx.)
Personally, I wouldn´t worry about that at all. I don´t count calories, and additionally, it sounds like Amateur1 is a vegetarian - and Ive never seen an obese vegetarian.
On second thoughts, what might concern me is that the dish is a bit sweet - and I don´t see SALT in the recipe. I´d probably squeeze a bit of lemon juice on it before serving.
 
Personally, I wouldn´t worry about that at all. I don´t count calories, and additionally, it sounds like Amateur1 is a vegetarian - and Ive never seen an obese vegetarian.

You might not need to lose weight but some are not so lucky! I only mentioned it because Amateur1 said (my bold):

Looking for any advice on the following. I'm looking for something healthy and low calorie yet tasty (hence the olive oil).

I don't know if Amateur1 is vegetarian or if he(?) needs to lose weight. But, as Amateur1 has now said it provided 6 portions. So - that makes the calories from the oil more reasonable.
 
Thanks all. I'm 68 inches tall and weigh 60kg, so don't need to lose weight. I have 30 inch waist trousers and am worried they will become too tight if I'm not careful with what I eat. I did add a tsp of salt.
I got the herbs from a Delia Smith recipe for roasted veg and the oil from a kugel (a baked casserole with starch (usually noodles or potatoes), eggs and fat) recipe. Since I'm not using flour in this recipe I realise that I don't need eggs or as much oil.
As you've said trial and error.
 
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