Squash is yummy

Last weekend, my husband had bought some beautiful green summer squash. A first look at them, I knew I wanted to stuff them and then bake them for dinner someday. Luckily, that someday was today. I looked in the refrigerator and pantry, and found the following things:

Summer squash - 3
Red onions - 1 small chopped
Mashed potato instant mix - 1 cup prepared by mixing with hot water
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Sugar - a pinch
Dry garlic powder - 2tsp
Dry mango powder - 1tsp (optional)
Cilantro chopped - 1tbsp
Olive oil
Pepper jack cheese slices - 1.5 cut into 6 triangles.

I chopped of the squash heads and cut them into halves. After that I scooped the insides with a tough steel spoon to shape them like boats. Then I peeled alternate stripes on the skin side. I learnt this technique from my maa when she makes a typical Bengali gourd called 'Potol'. She said the alternate striped peeling of the skin not only makes it look beautiful but also cooks the gourd to tenderness and lets the flavors go into the vegetable.

The squash boats were tossed in olive oil, salt and black pepper powder and then baked in a preheated oven at 350F for about 30 minutes. I know what you are wondering: "Where was the toddler of the house?" Well, scooping the squash takes skill and concentration, so thanks to the grilled corn that hubby prepared for the little one followed by Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse on iPhone, I was able to prep the squash for baking.

To prepare the stuffing, I heated some olive oil to which I added onions, chopped squash core, garlic powder, mango powder, salt, paprika, a pinch of sugar. After sautéing this for about 5 minutes, I added the mashed potato and cilantro.

After the squash had undergone baking for 30 minutes, I stuffed them with the above mixture and baked them for additional 15 minutes; this time at an increased temperature of 400F. The finishing touches were added by topping the squash with the cheese triangles and broiling them for 2 minutes exactly.

Dinner was satisfying today for everyone. The little one loved it -- Tell me, since time immemorial, why do mothers feel proud and satisfied when their children eat vegetables? I blamed my mom of the crime of making her kids eat vegetables and am now guilty of the same :-)

Btw, hubby said this was one of the best squash dishes he has eaten. That made my day!