When it comes to food, fall is the time we can all get creative! I know we all love summer and it is all about joy and party, but the fall is somehow warmer in spirit, more colorful..deeper.

For some reason, we all tend to associate holidays with food, and while some love to celebrate with a new recipe they haven’t tried, others stick to their favorite one instead. 

Even psychologists agree that eating can evoke positive emotions, but food also evokes emotional memories. The familiar taste and food can bring back some dear emotions linked to the image of the holidays. 

Thanksgiving is not an exception, so we often celebrate it in the company of our dearest ones, and the flavor of delicious recipes in the vivid colors of the falling leaves.

Squash is a highly beneficial fruit which can add taste, flavor, and color to your table for the Thanksgiving dinner.

This fleshy fruit is protected by a rind and is believed to have originated about 7500 years ago in Mexico and Central America. These starchy, carb-rich fruits are full of nutrients and incredibly easy to cook. There is truly a squash for every occasion, and they diverse in their shapes, colors, sizes, and tastes.

There are more than a dozen winter squash varieties to choose from, such as summer squash, winter squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, zucchini, pumpkin, and others.

Make sure you try the following squash recipe this year:

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Syrup and Cayenne Pepper

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
• salt, to taste
• cinnamon, to taste
• cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, wash and dry the squash, and cut it in half, lengthwise.

Scrape the seeds and pulp from each half using a spoon.

Spread coconut oil over the halves using a baking brush or a spoon, glaze with maple syrup, and sprinkle with cayenne, cinnamon, and salt.

Place the two halves on a lined cookie sheet, and bake for an hour, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Notes:

You can substitute acorn squash with butternut squash, and bake for 45 minutes.

For savory roasted acorn squash, check out the following recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound acorn squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• fresh thyme, to taste
• rosemary, to taste
• salt, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste

Directions :

Wash and cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and pulp, and brush the olive oil on the halves and add the spices. Roast on a lined cookie sheet for 50–60 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do you know what else goes with squash? Wine!

Wine is a staple ingredient of fall as well, so a tasty squash recipe and wine should definitely be on your Thanksgiving dinner table this year!

Enjoy the holiday!

Sources:
theheartysoul.com