by: Karen Ciancio

Autumn is harvest time. You can certainly enjoy these tasty squash recipes any time of year, but they seem particularly good as the weather cools down and we go back to using our ovens again. Time to cook delicious comfort foods.

Either of these recipes can be made with a variety of squashes. I have just listed the squash I prefer to use. They are so easy. They just bake alongside a roast beef or chicken or anything else you may have the oven turned on for. And they are a great part of any healthy diet.

Citrus Baked Squash

1 butternut squash (or any squash you prefer)

a mixture of 1/2 orange juice and 1/2 water

Peel the squash and slice it crosswise, so some of the slices are thick circles, about 1-1 1/2" thick. Arrange the slices in a Pyrex type baking dish. The size depends on the amount you are cooking. Just make sure they are in a single layer in the dish, not on top of each other.

Pour the orange juice and water mixture over the squash until it reaches about half way up the slices. Cover with foil and bake in a 350ºF for about 45 minutes, or until they are soft when a knife is inserted in the middle. Watch along the way to make sure the liquid does not dry out completely. If it does, just add a bit more.

Serve the slices drizzled with the extra orange sauce.

Sweet and Rich Pepper Squash

pepper squash (or any squash you prefer)

brown sugar

butter

cinnamon

Slice each pepper squash in half and clean out the cavity. Put a teaspoon of butter in each cavity. Add a dash of cinnamon and a teaspoon of brown sugar to each cavity.

Bake, covered in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes, then uncover it for the last 15-30 minutes, so the sugar sauce thickens.

This squash can be served as is, in halves in the skin. If you prefer you can scoop out the squash and sauce, mix it together and put it in a pretty serving dish.

I don't salt either of these recipes because I find them tasty enough as is, but feel free to add a bit of salt if you would like.

I hope your family and friends enjoy these delicious recipes as much as mine.