Yet Another Squash Recipe
June 27, 2011
Disclaimer: This post is about Weight Watchers and my experience on the program. If you aren’t interested feel free to skip to the bottom for a delicious buttery squash pasta.
I briefly mentioned it in an earlier post, but after a year and a half of attempting to get in shape and shave off a little of the extra cushion I’ve seemed to heartily pack on, admitting my failure to eat sensible portions I learned something about myself. I need goals. While this could apply to a vast number of areas in my life today I am specifically talking about goals in regards to my eating.
During my Carrabbas waitress days of college I had a few too many bowls of fettucini alfredo washed down with spoonful or ten of a a rejected chocolate delicacy compliments of the kitchen staff. Complaining of my jeans getting a little too tight I decided to join my mother in joining Weight Watchers. I was quite successful. Almost a little too successful as I dwindled down and even my volleyball spandex began to bag on my bird legs. I’ll admit that it was the only time in my life that I was happy with my weight. I didn’t want to lose another pound. Of course, as with any extreme diet, it wasn’t maintainable.
Although I agreed that it worked, when I worked out the math, my allotment of 20 points a day was only equivalent to a mere 1000 calories. No one regardless of size or weight should be eating less than 1200 calories a day. I developed an aversion to Weight Watchers. I decided it focused too much on low calorie, low fat, low nutrition foods and was not a healthy way to lose and keep off weight.
Six years later, a little out of desperation and partly out of seeing people around me try and find success with the new revamped Weight Watchers Points Plus program, I decided to eat my words and get back to the counting points.
Like many the biggest realization I had was that my portion sizes were WAY out of proportion (pun definitely intended) to my overall daily nutritional needs. However, unlike many I suppose, I am actually having a hard time meeting my daily points allowance (except on the weekends when booze is involved) due to my love of green veggies and the now zero point fruits. I had to start focusing more on filling my plates with foods of sustenance.
I’m about a month in and will report that contrary to my skeptic heart I am a believer. I feel better, look better, and even the scale (borrowed from my aunt since I ditched mine a while back) is not an enemy. I believe the new program works because for once it focuses on the right kinds of foods instead of calorie restriction, in addition to its infamous portion control. Some people are great intuitive eaters, others are able to balance their indulgences with a fat blasting session at the gym. I personally apparently thrive when I have a goal to strive for and an understandable means of reaching it. I’m not yet ready to sign up to be a WW counselor, but for me, for now, its working and I’m going to stick with it. I’ll keep you guys posted along the way, and will try to provide scrumptious recipes to help you follow the program…if you care to that is 🙂
And now it’s time for yet another squash recipe.
We actually grew this butternut squash in our garden without meaning to. It seems our little garden likes to surprise us with little golden presents every year. Last year we had enough pumpkins to fill our freezer full and this year it’s butternut squash. I can’t decide which is better, but this little dish counts 1 for the butternut!
Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta
Serves 3
Ingredients
3 c Whole Wheat Pasta, cooked and drained
1 Small Butternut Squash, cubed
1 Small Summer Squash, cubed
4 T Butter
1/2 c Vegetable Broth
1/2 tsp Cornstarch
2 T Fresh Sage, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, sliced thin (not minced)
Salt
Olive Oil
3 T Parmesan Cheese
Directions
1. Toss both squashes in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until tender.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
3. In a skillet melt butter, add garlic and sage and brown.
4. In a separate bowl mix cornstarch and part of the vegetable broth until evenly mixed.
5. Add remaining vegetable broth to skillet, stir, add cornstarch mixture and heat over low heat until slightly thickened. Salt to taste.
6. Spoon 1 c pasta into each bowl, top with squash, pour butter sauce over top and top with 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese.
Serving Size: 1/3 recipe
Points Plus Points: Approximately 10.5 pts