Sweet Meat Squash Pie
My friend gave me the most beautiful sweet meat squash. It was a large lovely green globe with little golden bumps on it. I almost hated to cut it open. But it's destiny was pie! This was my first sweet meat squash pie and since it was a success I thought I'd share the process.
Cut up the squash into sections (like 8ths). Place the squash sections in a Pyrex dish with some water and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour until the squash it tender. Scrap the squash meat out into a bowl. It you are just eating squash it can be served mashed with a little Earth Balance buttery spread. But for pie we have to get rid of some of that water. So I ran the squash meat through the Victorio food strainer to take out any strings (there were only a few). Then I placed the pulp in a straining bag made of cotton or _____ and suspended it over a strainer to allow the water to drain out overnight. (After the initial draining I put it in the refrigerator overnight). In the morning the pulp looked exactly like the thick pulp that comes from a can of pumpkin. Then I used the recipe below and it was quite tasty. In fact, I might like it better than pumpkin, it has a lighter taste. Enjoy!
2/3 c. water
1 T. agar agar flakes
1 1/2 c. Silk soy creamer
2/3 c. organic cane crystals
1 t. coriander
1/2 t. cardamom
1 t. vanilla flavor
1/2 t. salt
15 oz. sweet meat squash puree (It's about 1 3/4 c. - I actually weighed it).
Soak agar agar flakes in 2/3 c. water for 10–15 minutes. Blend next seven ingredients until smooth in a blender. Simmer agar agar, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until dissolved. Add to blender and blend until smooth. Pour squash mixture into an unbaked pie crust and bake at 450° for 10 minutes then turn heat down to 350° for 40 minutes more. Cool slightly and place in refrigerator uncovered. Allow to cool completely before serving. Serve with Tofu Vanilla Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream. Makes (1) 8" Pie. See "Vegan Homestyle for topping recipes" |
