Butternut Squash Fries

My brother's fiancee, Marie, bought me the Hungry Girl Cookbook for Christmas. Tonight, we decided to try the butternut squash fries with our sloppy joes.

I love a good ol' fashioned potato. Really, any way you cook and prepare it--baked, mashed, sliced, diced, french fried, au gratin, twice baked, peeled, with skin--whatever their form, potatoes are good eats in my book. So I was skeptical that these butternut squash fries could fill the shoes of my beloved potatoes.

But while these definitely don't take the place of french fries, they were good. I just don't think that the effort required to make them is something I'm going to be willing to do on a regular basis. They're actually not that difficult, but compared to a bag of oven fries picked up in the freezer section, they take a lot more time.

I do encourage you to give them a try, though. Especially if you're on a diet and are looking to fill a void. :) Because these babies? They are only 125 calories per serving. And a serving size is half of the entire batch! Hell, if you're REALLY hungry, and you REALLY like them, you could eat the entire batch for a "whopping" 250 calories. That right there is a calorie bargain.

Bake-Tastic Butternut Squash Fries
(Source: Hungry Girl by Lisa Lillien)

Ingredients:
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds--large enough to yield 20 ounces of uncooked flesh)
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Use a sharp knife to remove the ends of the squash. Cut squash in half widthwide (making it easier to manage), and then peel squash halves using a vegetable peeler or a knife. Cut squash in half lengthwise and then scoop out all seeds.

3. Next, cut squash into french fry shapes. Use a crinkle cutter to make authentic-looking crinkle-cut fries (they'll taste great any way you slice 'em, though). Using a paper towel, pat squash pieces firmly to absorb any excess moisture.

4. Place squash into a bowl, add a light mist of nonstick spray, and sprinkle with salt. Toss squash to evenly distribute salt and then transfer to a large baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Use 2 pans if needed. All squash pieces should lie flat in the pan.

5. Place pan(s) in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or so (longer for thick-cut fries, shorter for skinnier fries), flipping halfway through baking. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and get crispy.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Per Serving (1/2 of recipe): 125 calories, less than 0.5g fat, 158mg sodium, 33g carbs, 3g fiber, 6g sugars, 3g protein