A lot of food bloggers eat squash for breakfast, which I happen to think is strange.
Even odder still are those who eat squash in the middle of the night, direct from the fridge, cold. Yep, not gonna lie; I find that really strange.
For me and ironically enough, it all started with a squash. The one in the back left corner of this photo to be exact. I nabbed him at the farmers market some weeks ago because I was excited to see fresh local produce. Starved for it really, although certainly not literally. So I grabbed an Acorn Squash, and if I’m being totally honest, I’m not a huge Acorn Squash fan. Sure, if you dress it up and take it out, I’m going to eat it, but it’s not exactly my favorite, and I certainly don’t think it could survive on its own. It needs to be stuffed, topped, saturated with something, anything else. Obviously those of you who eat it cold and direct from the fridge, in the middle of the night, are more than welcome to disagree with me. Matter of fact, I like a healthy debate (so long as I win in the end; that’s the important part), so bring it on.
Someone who’s logical might question why I bought the squash, let’s call him Julius, in the first place. While it’s a valid question, I think for the purpose of today’s post, we should throw logical thoughts out the window. Agreed? Good.
Back to Julius; he sat on my counter for a good number of weeks, taunting me each and every single day. The problem was I didn’t really love him, so I wasn’t motivated to cook, much less eat the wee lad (can you image what my new readers must be thinking right now?). I decided to force my own hand, and I roasted him a couple weeks ago. I scraped Julius’ flesh from his skin, spooned him into a Tupperware and tossed him into the fridge, where I proceeded to ignore him, yet again. This is why I’m not a parent. I cannot stick a toddler in the fridge and ignore them.
We started to get to a point where if I didn’t use him soon, I was going to lose him. Squash gone bad is nobody’s idea of a good time. Plus, I really hate to lose, even if I’m battling food and Julius was no exception.
I called in the big guns, which loosely translates to hitting up Farm Fresh Feast’s “Recipe Index by Ingredient,” one of the coolest indexes out there. A quick perusal through her many squash recipes led me to Kirsten’s Overnight Soaked Oat Whole Grain Farm Fresh Muffins (what a mouthful, in more ways than one), which paired pumpkin puree with chocolate chips. Not too shabby, but not the squash I had in mind, so I bastardized her recipe and had a great time doing it.
Acorn Squash Raspberry/Blackberry Buttermilk Soaked Oat Muffins
I present to all of you my Strange But Good submission: Acorn Squash Blackberry Oat Muffins or if you prefer Acorn Squash Raspberry Oat Muffins. I’ve had them both ways in the past few days (chuckle, chuckle), and since I’ve been eating these in the morning, like a total champ I might add, I can actually say I’m eating squash for breakfast. And I suppose if I were to awaken in the middle of the night, with a rumbling in my tummy, I might just pop one of these in my mouth. Definitely strange, but really damn good. Laura would be proud, although she’d probably add protein powder.
Before I run off and give you the recipe, I need to give a shout out to my other linky lover, Jessie Bear. I’m hitching this post to her wagon because I’m sharing the link to Kirsten’s recipe as well as my own adaptation. Check it out and see what other fabulous food people are digging and dying to make.
Last, but most certainly not least, come and join my Week In Review link up party on Monday, where we acknowledge all the major and minor things we did (or didn’t do) in the past seven days. Bonus points if you do it in list form. For more details, click here. Remember, it’s the hot new party in town. Alright, it’s not totally hot yet, but it could be, if you joined the fun. Think about it. Then link about it.
Back to Julius. Ain’t he handsome, in an I can’t wait to eat you kind of way? Just in case there are any doubts about my “really damn good” claim, the Hubby and I ate two dozen muffins in half the number of days, which averages out to four muffins a day.
Squash for breakfast….I say sign me up.
Would you eat squash for breakfast? What’s your favorite way to prepare Acorn Squash?
Acorn Squash Blackberry/Raspberry Oat Muffins
Adapted for Farm Fresh Feasts
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup cooked Acorn Squash
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl on the counter. Stir well. Cover. Leave on the counter for at least an hour or up to ten hours (overnight).
- 1 large or jumbo egg
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (I used Honey flavor although plain would also work)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup blackberries, raspberries or any combination thereof
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
- Add the egg, brown sugar, and greek yogurt to the bowl of oats, buttermilk, squash and vanilla. Stir well.
- Add in the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Gently stir in the fresh berries.
- Spoon the muffin mixture into the muffin pan in twelve equal portions.
- Bake 22 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then put onto a cooling rack to finish.
This is why I’m not a parent. I cannot stick a toddler in the fridge and ignore them. —> best quote ever.
Thanks! It’s funny, but true. 🙂
I’ve eaten squash for breakfast multiple times. It’s one of my favorite foods after all.
What’s your favorite type of squash? Right now mine are kabocha or acorn. For some reason I just can’t jump back on the butternut bandwagon. The thought makes me sick to my stomach. So weird.
I always thought it would be interesting to take a recipe for, say banana bread, and replace the banana with kabocha and some of the sugar with another dry ingredient like ground oats or coconut/quinoa flour. It would be like a savory-ish bread. Perfect for toasting, topping with a little butter, and maybe an egg?
I know you are a huge squash fan; I thought of you when writing this post. My favorite would have to be Butternut; I think it’s the most versatile, but then again look at what I did to do the Acorn. Maybe I just need to get more creative.
I bet you could switch squash for bananas; maybe just add some cinnamon to offset the savory factor. It would definitely be good with an egg on top.
I AM proud!! I love the title of this post…. thought I think you should have neamed these Julius Muffins. Then you could have said you had Julius both ways. Bwhahahaha!!!
Thanks for linking up your #strangebutgood-ness!!!
I love it; now that would have been awesome.
Those muffins look SO delicious! YUM!
Thanks Liz. They were delicious.
I do actually have a photo of my toddler in the fridge. And a video, where she says something that I will share with you privately. Enough to know that it was in Hawaii, and apparently based on the photographic evidence my children never wore clothes while we lived there.
Thanks for the love! I’m so glad you found them via the recipe index–it’s how I roll when I’m staring at my CSA farm share box, so I’m glad to know that someone else thinks the same way. If only I could derive pleasure cleaning floors like you do . . .
I have to say your photos are stunning–I love the one with the bricks and cooling rack! Nice lighting and composition!
Oh my gosh, I would love to hear the story behind that and see your days in Hawaii.
I love the recipe index by ingredient; it’s perfect for us CSA folks. I’ve got a squash, what can I do with it? Let me check Kirsten’s index. Aha!
If you teach me how to can tomatoes this summer, I will happily clean your floors.
Oh man, you totally had me until you named the squash. I canNOT name my food – makes it too hard to eat!
For whatever reason, though, the toddle analogy doesn’t bother me??? I guess I could eat a toddler???
I like to develop a connection with my food so naming it is part of the fun for me, and I’d much rather eat food, than a toddler any day. 🙂
im sorry but cold kabocha squash straight out of the fridge is amazing. it took me awhile to jump on the squash train, but now that i’m on it, i don’t think i’m getting off! (no really check out my #strangebutgood post!)
these muffins look good though! i recently saw a recipe for sweet potato muffins that i’ve been tempted to try. and like laura i will probably add protein powder to them 😉
Your take on cold squash puts you in the majority, and no apologies necessary. I did, after all, ask for it, huh?! Checking out your Strange But Good now.
I’m guilty of both squash for breakfast and cold squash at night..both equally delicious. These muffins sound and look delicious! I love the strangeness.
Thanks Brittany. Yep, the general consensus is on cold squash and at all hours of the day and night. You crazy kids.
Thanks for not linking to me directly when you mentioned that whole ‘eating it cold out of the fridge (sometimes) in the middle of the night’ thing.
I wrote that, and then I saw that you DID, in fact, link to me directly. 🙂
You are in luck, because Squash Addicts Anonymous AND The Cooks Who Give Their Food Names Club both meet at my house.
Oops, I did totally link back to you. I thought you might rather enjoy it.
I think I need to come so when’s the next meeting? Can I bring squash, or would that defeat the purpose?
Those muffins have my mouth watering! I would definitely eat squash for breakfast and I’ve heard that it is delish in 2 ingredient pancakes. Can’t wait for the farmer’s market to open so i can get my hands on some fresh ones!
I managed to get a great haul at Friday’s farmers market, although no squash, which is a pity because I am digging these muffins.
gosh these muffins look mighty delicious.. like I want them in my belly right this second!!
You should make them. Or come to Cleveland and I will make them for you. 🙂
I need to get on the squash train asap! I was all about spaghetti squash for some time now but it got old plus it was not organically grown near me which is important to me. Your creation sounds amazing and I will definitely pick up a squash this weekend if I see one! Have an amazing weekend! Love + Shine Courtstar
Confession: I have never eaten spaghetti squash. I hope you try the muffins; they were delicious.
Oh those muffins do look pretty fab..and breakfast-worthy indeed! I made butternut squash muffins a while back and was pleasantly surprised at the texture it created :)! As for roasted squash first thing in the morning, I think I might be able to as long as there was nut butter involved..and plenty of it ;)!
Butternut squash muffins would be great too, and I think anything could be consumed so long as nut butter was involved.
I can honestly say I haven’t hopped on the squash train yet, I like it in the fall when it’s chilly but I’ve yet to try it in anything except soups/stews. But those Julius muffins look amazing and I have to admit that muffins were never a place I would have thought to put squash…
As far as eating the whole dozen muffins, you should see what I did to my entire batch of cookie bites (by myself no less) 🙂
Finally someone not on the squash train. We can be BFF’s. I hope I didn’t just scare you. Eek.
Thanks for the shout out love! Those muffins look delightful. And squash for brekkie? Hell yeah!
Of course my dear. Happy to do it.
I’d venture to say you’ve never actually TRIED cold squash straight out of the fridge….because if you HAD, you’d know EXACTLY what all the fuss is about! Lol I swear it tastes so much sweeter after it’s been roasted AND chilled! I had some kabocha just the other day, straight up from the fridge with some ketchup on it and in your words, it was strange, but DAMN good! 😉
Now onto these muffins! Damn girl, you know how to do it! They’re perfect…I love it when muffins get those nice crisp edges! And I have to say I’m proud of you for experimenting with good ol’ Julius. I’d have had to whip you if you let him go to waste! 😉
You’d venture correctly, and despite your claims, I’m not sure I’m willing to try cold squash from the fridge. Not without a cocktail first, and you can forget about the ketchup. Shudder.
I couldn’t let Julius go bad…then again, if I had known whipping was involved. 😉
Poppycock!!! <- Bahaha, why the hell did I just say that?! See what you're senseless anti-squash ramblings do to me, woman!! You act as if I'm trying to get you to eat fried cockroaches or something! Haha!
I'm assuming you missed seeing my dinner on Instagram last night? Greek yogurt topped with Quaker oatmeal squares and COLD KABOCHA…with cinnamon!! I ate it and scoffed in your general direction! 😛
Yeah I’m pretty sure I didn’t like your Instagram cold squash picture either…..now who’s laughing. ;)Poppycock right back atcha!
These muffins sound amazing, I love adding pumpkin to muffins and i’m sure the acorn squash would make these really moist!
They were really good. You should make them.
I once had a scramble with arugula, butternut squash, and roasted garlic. DELICIOUS
Oh my, that does sound delicious. I love the idea of butternut squash. It might be the one squash I actually really enjoy.
Yay linky love! & Julius is the most perfect name for a squash. I’m not going to call all my squashes Julius.