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WW Recipe of the Day: Asian Baked Kabocha Squash
Wedges of kabocha squash brushed with a combination of oil, honey, and five spice powder, baked until tender, and then sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.
This Weight Watchers Asian Baked Kabocha Squash is another winning recipe from one of my latest cookbook acquisitions: the Weight Watchers Power Foods Cookbook (affiliate link). (I’m batting a thousand from this book so far. All 3 recipes I’ve tried have been winners 🙂 )
This is a milestone week for our 38 Power Foods Group. We’ve reached the end of the vegetables chapter and are closing it out with one of my favorites: winter squash—A Weight Watchers Power Food with 0 Freestyle SmartPoints.
If you are just tuning in, each week a dedicated group of us is working our way through Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients (affiliate link) by Martha Stewart and the editors of Whole Living Magazine. Other participating bloggers writing about winter squash, this week include:
- Alyce @ More Time at the Table
- Ansh @ Spice Roots
- Jeanette @ Jeanette's Healthy Living
- Jill @ Saucy Cooks
- Mireya @ My Healthy Eating Habits
- Sarah @ Everything in the Kitchen Sink
- Casey @ Bookcase Foodie
- Bambi @ Adobo Down Under
What’s to Love about Winter Squash?
Well, I love them because they’re hearty, colorful, simple to prepare , delicious and low in calories/Points. All the health benefits are an added bonus.
You might be able to guess from their color that winter squash are a rich source of beta-carotene, giving them excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also great sources of Vitamin C, B6, potassium and fiber.
My two favorite winter squash choices are acorn, which I love to bake and/or stuff, and butternut, which I enjoy both roasted and mashed. I also make spaghetti squash occasionally. So, this week, I decided to branch out and try something new.
I opted for Kabocha, a round, squat, thick-fleshed winter squash that comes in a variety of colors including gray, green and orange. I chose a green one…
We had this for Asian Baked Kabocha Squash for dinner last night along with miso-glazed pork tenderloin (a winner from Mark Bittman) and a mixed green salad tossed in a light sesame ginger vinaigrette (sticking with the Asian theme).
The flavors of the squash were delicious, but the texture a little drier than I expected, which was probably due to the squash and not the recipe.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Asian Baked Kabocha Squash?
According to my calculations, each serving has 93 calories and
1 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
1 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
1 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
2 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
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Weight Watchers Asian Baked Kabocha Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kabocha squash (about 2-1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick spray.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise. (Be careful as the skin is very tough and you don't want the knife to slip and cut yourself.) Scoop out the seeds then cut each half into 3 wedges.
- Arrange the wedges, skin side down, in your prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the squash with salt.
- In a small bowl (affiliate link), stir together the olive oil, honey, and five-spice powder. Brush or drizzle over the squash. (I brushed it all over to coat the flesh.)
- Bake until the squash is tender, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Source: Weight Watchers Power Foods Cookbook (affiliate link)
A note about WW Points
If you're following Weight Watchers, all the recipes here on Simple Nourished Living have been updated for the new WW program, with points displayed in the recipe card. The Check the WW Points link in the recipe card takes you to the Weight Watchers App where you can edit it using the WW recipe builder or add it to your day.
(Must be logged into WW account on a mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet).
Links to More Great Winter Squash Recipes:
- Cooking Spaghetti Squash with Step-by-Step Photo Tutorial (Start Cooking)
- Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan & Peas (Clean & Delicious)
- Favorite Winter Squash Recipes with PointsPlus Information (A Veggie Venture)
- Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom White Bean Ragout (Everyday Maven)
- Maple Butternut Squash Crisp (Weight Watchers)
- Baked Butternut Squash Fries (Hungry Girl)
- Butternut Squash Risotto (Skinny Taste)
Here’s a Video on How to Prepare and Cook Winter Squash from AllRecipes:
Sources:
Every time I make this the squash consistency is like clay 🙁
This is a wonderful recipe, simple, but full of flavor. Love it.
I love how simple this recipe is – Kabocha Squash is one of my favorite winter squashes.
The squash sounds flavorful with all the spices, but you really got me there with the miso glazed pork tenderloin—can’t wait til you post it.
Lovely! One of the first unusual squashes I cooked was kabocha–stuffed with a rice-onion-sausage combination years and years ago. Wonder if I still have that recipe? Have a lovely weekend, Martha:)