We’ve been in Buenos Aires for 3 weeks now, and I finally feel like I’m in a routine here. We get up at 8am, go to Magic Center Gym (I went to the spinning class again this morning, and the instructor Ariel was still late, still giving kisses, and still didn’t get on his bike once), come back and have coffee & banana peanut butter oatmeal*, and I start studying & blog writing. It’s pretty sweet.
(*BTW – thanks to my current case study participant I have discovered something delicious – adding 1 tsp of natural peanut butter to my oatmeal…SO good. The peanut butter melts into the warm oatmeal, and it tastes so good with the banana. It’s also a great way to add some protein & B vitamins to your breakfast)
One thing that’s been a bit of a challenge; and I think you get this anytime you travel & live in a new city, is figuring out how to cook healthy meals using the ingredients that are readily available and cheap. There just isn’t the same selection of food that I’m used to. And unlike Toronto, in Buenos Aires it’s actually cheaper to eat out than to buy groceries and cook. This is great when we want to go out for dinner on a Friday night, but not so great during the week. In order to stay healthy & maintain my weight I like to cook my own meals.
There are a lot of produce stands in our neighborhood and I noticed that butternut squash is always available and only 6 pesos ($1.50 CAN) for one that is pre-peeled & pre-chopped. Perfect. Butternut squash is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium & fiber.
Me buying produce from our local fruit stand. See the butternut squash in the fridge?
When my parents came to visit last week we used the charcoal BBQ on our patio and had beef tenderloin, roasted red peppers and baked butternut squash. It was awesome. I know it’s winter for my fellow Canadians, but squash is a great vegetable to have in the winter and you don’t need a BBQ for this recipe. Here’s my recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash – it’s healthy, easy, and yummy.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash cut into cubes (buy pre-chopped if possible*)
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp of grapeseed oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
*If your squash is not pre-chopped I’ve discovered an easier way to do it yourself. Without peeling the squash first, cut the straight part into rounds (about 1 inch thick). Cut the bulb in half, and remove & discard the seeds. Cut the bulb into half-moon shapes (about 1 inch thick). Lay your pieces flat on the cutting board, and cut around the edges to slice off the peel. Your round discs should now look like hexagons. Cut all your pieces into cubes.
Place the cubes of squash into a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, oil, salt & pepper and toss to combine.
Spread onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 40 minutes. Remove halfway through and give it a stir (this is important otherwise they will burn on one side).
Roasting the butternut squash causes it to caramelize, and it takes on a yummy sweet flavor. Enjoy!
BBQ night with my parents (Barbie & Ken on the left – aren’t they cute?) & our friends (they’re cute too). You can see the butternut squash on my plate next to the beef & peppers – yum. And of course – a glass of Malbec (only $5 CAN per bottle!)
Super Delicious Dinner !!