Its fruits really resemble a plate-shaped pumpkin. In this case, the color of the vegetable can be white (the more common type), green, yellow, purple, often distinguished by bizarre spots and stripes.
Typically its weight ranges from 100 to 600 grams.
Fruits can be stored at temperatures from 0 to +1 degrees. But they need to be wrapped in plastic.
Compound
Squash, oddly enough, has a high content of many rare, but quite useful for humans, components. Among them you can see:
water (at least 93%);
protein fractions;
fats (represented by all types of fatty acids);
carbohydrates (sugars are in the form of glucose and fructose);
ash elements;
organic acids;
fiber (dietary fiber);
pectin substances;
lutein;
vitamin K (acts on blood clotting);
biotin (vitamin H);
ascorbic acid (vitamin C);
B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin);
minerals such as potassium, calcium, lithium, copper, iron, sodium, aluminum, phosphorus, zinc, titanium, molybdenum, cobalt.
The total calorie content of 100 g of squash does not exceed 19.5 kilocalories (this makes the product dietary).
The percentage ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 12/5/89%.
Benefit
This plate pumpkin is not deprived of beneficial properties for humans. Therefore, it is recommended to use it for:
atherosclerosis;
blood clot formation;
hypertension;
various types of catarrh;
general anemia and vitamin deficiency;
constant stressful situations (calms the nervous system);
dysfunction of the liver and kidneys;
stagnation of bile;
problems with urination (acts as a strong diuretic and relieves swelling);
accumulation of table salt in the body;
constipation (has a laxative effect);
unhealthy intestinal microflora (fights the consequences of dysbiosis);
failure to digest proteins and fats;
obesity factor (rapid saturation occurs due to fat, but this does not affect the figure);
reduced functioning of the entire digestive system (its activity is stimulated and envelops the mucous membranes during peptic ulcer);
slowing down hematopoietic processes;
absence or reduced function of glycogen restoration in the liver;
decreased or absent absorption of a mineral such as iron;
the need to replenish the body with antioxidants (to prevent the development of cancer);
reduced lutein content;
reduced immunity;
increased content of “bad” cholesterol in the blood (it is eliminated thanks to pectins);
the risk of the appearance and deposition of free radicals in the body (their presence is neutralized by squash);
reduced visual acuity and the risk of degenerative eye processes.
In addition, it is very useful to introduce vegetable seeds into the diet, ground into powder using a coffee grinder. After all, they are:
highly nutritious protein and vitamin product (thanks to seed oil);
natural medicine for diseases of the genitourinary system;
restorers of the functions of the endocrine and nervous systems;
an excellent decongestant.
The vegetable family of the “pumpkin” genus, which has firmly settled in our beds, never ceases to amaze and delight with its diversity. For example, knowing how to fry squash in a frying pan with garlic or breaded, even during a period of forced cost savings, you don’t have to worry about the vitamin diversity and adequacy of your family’s diet.
The plate-shaped fruits are incredibly decorative, and the dishes made from them are so tasty and tender that they belong on the holiday table.
Squash: benefits and advantages
There are so many squash treats that it is impossible to consider all the recipes in one article, so today we will try to get acquainted with just a few recipes for frying these vegetables, amazing in their shape and vitamin content.
Not everyone knows that they are much more useful than the popular and beloved zucchini, so you need to cook squash delicacies as often as possible.
Another noteworthy feature of squash “plates” is their incredibly low calorie content.
Thus, a traditional 100 g of fresh product contains only 19 kcal, and a fried vegetable contains no more than 85 kcal.
This is so little that even as part of a strict diet, if you get bored with your favorite French fries, you can fry a couple of pieces of squash and treat yourself to a kind of analogue of the starchy “forbidden fruit”.
How to fry squash in a frying pan: basic recipe
Ingredients
- Fresh squash (small)- 2 pcs. + -
- - 1 tbsp. + -
- - 3 tbsp. + -
- - 1/3 tsp. + -
- - taste + -
How to fry squash in a frying pan until crispy
Similar to carved plates, relatives of zucchini, are perfectly stored in the home refrigerator, so you can enjoy them even in November.
However, it is best to fry young fruits - you don’t have to remove the skin from them, and they turn out to be especially tender in taste.
- From the washed fruits we cut off the stalks and the remains of the petiole. They also need to be peeled.
The ideal fruit size for frying is up to 10 cm in diameter. If you don’t have any at hand, you can use older squash. However, if the seeds are too large and hard, then they also need to be removed.
- Divide the vegetables into thin slices, about 5 mm thick.
- Place them in a deep plate, add salt and pepper and leave to salt for 15 minutes.
- Take a frying pan with a thick bottom and place it on medium heat.
- Add the butter, wait a couple of seconds until it melts, and distribute it evenly over the entire surface.
- Next, all that remains is to roll the squash slices in flour, shake off the excess and place the vegetables in the heated oil.
- Fry the pieces on both sides until they are covered with a crispy crust.
The finished treat can be served hot (sprinkled with chopped herbs) or slightly cooled. When warm, it can also be an excellent side dish for your favorite meat dish or fish aspic.
How to fry squash in a frying pan in an original way
And now we suggest making snack sandwiches from fried squash slices. You'll have to tinker a little, but you'll manage to surprise your guests!
Ingredients
- Squash – 2 pcs.
- Chicken eggs – 2 pcs.
- Hard cheese – 50 g
- Butter – 2 tbsp.
- Vegetable oil – 2-3 tbsp.
- Breadcrumbs - 3 tbsp.
- Ground black pepper – 1/3 tsp.
- Salt - to taste
How to deliciously fry squash in a frying pan
- We wash, peel and cut the fruits in the same way as in the previous recipe.
- Salt and season the sliced slices with pepper and leave them to soak in the spices.
- Having heated the frying pan, pour half of the prepared sunflower oil into it, heat it up a little and put vegetable slices in it.
- Lightly brown them on both sides and place them on a paper towel to get rid of excess fat.
- While the fried pieces are cooling, grind the cheese on a grater with large holes, add butter and one of the raw eggs to it. Mix the mixture well and add some salt.
- We apply it to a squash plate and cover it with another plate - it turns out to be a vegetable “sandwich”. We do this with all the pieces.
- Place the frying pan on the heat again and pour in the remaining vegetable oil.
- Dip each of the “sandwiches” into a beaten egg, dip in breadcrumbs and brown on both sides.
This appetizer is best served hot. If you let it sit for a little while, you run the risk of losing the appetizing crispy crust.
How to fry delicious squash in a frying pan with garlic
Garlic gives your favorite vegetable a slight piquancy and helps to maximize its natural taste. We also suggest adding carrots, onions and herbs to this “duet” so that it is not only tasty and beautiful, but also as healthy as possible.
Ingredients
- Young squash – 500 g;
- Fresh carrots – 200 g;
- Onions (medium) – 2 pcs.;
- Garlic – 2 cloves;
- Sunflower oil – 2-3 tbsp;
- Fresh dill – 1 bunch;
- Salt – ½ tsp.
How to cook fried squash with vegetables
- After washing all the vegetables, we clean them and chop them into cubes using a knife, except for carrots, which we grate on a coarse grater.
- First, place the onion in hot oil and fry until softened.
- Then we add squash slices to it, and at the very end - carrots. Everything needs to be fried over low heat.
- Add greens to the dish, salt it to taste.
You will need to season the treat with pepper and crushed garlic a couple of minutes before the end of cooking, when the vegetables are almost soft.
This dish will be an excellent addition to homemade cutlets or stewed fish.
Almost everything our body needs to feel full and healthy grows in garden beds. Having learned how to deliciously fry squash in a frying pan with your own hands, you can easily add pleasant variety to your home menu, as well as make your holiday table even richer.
Bon appetit!
Ingredients:
Patissons
Flour for deboning
Salt
Butter
How to cook squash
1 . Peel the squash and remove the stem. It is advisable to remove seeds from large fruits. Cut the squash into slices, 0.7 - 1 cm thick.
2
. Pour a little (about 0.5 cup) flour into a cup. Dip each piece of squash in flour on all sides.
3
. Melt butter (about 30 grams) in a frying pan.
4.
Place the squash coated in flour in a frying pan. Fry each piece on both sides until golden brown. Each side should be salted while frying.
Delicious fried squash is ready
Bon appetit!
Fried squash
Patisson is one of the gifts of nature that tastes like zucchini. This healthy vegetable is often neglected by housewives, since it is not popular everywhere. The low-calorie content of squash dishes - 19 kilocalories per 100 grams (Proteins/Fats/Carbohydrates - 0.5/0.1/4), allows the vegetable to become a favorite ingredient without harming a beautiful figure. We can talk for a long time about the benefits of a vegetable in the form of a French pie. Patisson is indicated for heart and kidney diseases, problems with the liver and stomach, and anemia (anemia). These gifts of nature are rich in iron, healthy acids, vitamins B, A, E and C, sodium and zinc.
You can prepare properly using the same tips as for preparing zucchini. Some recipes indicate that the skin of the squash should be removed before frying. To do this easily, you need to boil them for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water before cooking.
If you need to prevent the squash from “shooting,” fry them in a cauldron with high walls in butter. This is exactly what will make the taste softer, rid the vegetable of bitterness and hardness, and also prevent fat from getting into the eyes and onto the surface of the stove.
Before cooking the squash, you need to wash it well and cut it into pieces. Be sure to salt them and leave them like that for an hour or two. You can also lightly salt the chilled water and put the squash in there for an hour. This way, the vegetables will be tastier, not so hard, and the bitterness will go away.
Fried squash recipes
Squash in batter
Ingredients:
- Ripe squash – 5 pieces.
- Eggs – 2 pieces.
- Butter – for frying.
- Hard cheese, lightly salted – 150 grams.
- Parsley - 1 large bunch.
- Flour, crackers (for breading).
Preparation:
Boil the squash for a few minutes and carefully remove the skin with a knife, then cut into circles of medium thickness. Add salt and ground black pepper and leave it like that for a while.
Heat the butter in a cauldron, turn the heat to low, and beat in the egg. Finely chop the parsley and place it in the cauldron. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, then add it to the container. Warm everything up a little.
Now we take the squash and glue its slices together with the mixture that we cooked in the cauldron. Then you need to roll the vegetables in flour and breadcrumbs, and then fry them over medium heat in a frying pan.
Squash fried with sour cream
Ingredients:
- Squash - 5 pieces.
- Onions – 2 pieces.
- Hot red pepper – 1 piece.
- Tomatoes – 3 pieces.
- Sour cream – 300 grams.
- Dill, basil.
- Salt, pepper, garlic.
Preparation:
Cut the squash into slices. Peel the onion, cut it into half rings, and cut the hot pepper in the same way. Make a mixture of tomatoes in a blender. Chop the greens finely.
Fry the onion with pepper, pour chopped tomatoes over everything, add herbs. Add garlic and seasonings to the sour cream, pour onions, peppers and tomatoes over the mixture. Fry the squash separately and set them aside for a while. Place the squash in a saucepan, pour the stewed tomato-sour cream mixture with vegetables over everything, and fry over low heat.
Fried and stuffed squash
Ingredients:
- Large squash - 10 pieces.
- Minced chicken – 300 grams.
- Onion – 2 pieces.
- Garlic – 1 head.
- Hard cheese – 200 grams.
- Butter – for frying.
- Sour cream – 200 grams.
Preparation:
The squash needs to be prepared: cut off the lid and remove the entire core. Put the water to boil, and when it reaches the boiling point, put the vegetables in it for 10 minutes. Take it out and let it cool.
Finely chop the onion. Fry the minced meat with onions, add salt and pepper, press the garlic. Add sour cream to the minced meat. Now let's stuff the squash and heat the oil in a frying pan with high edges. Place the vegetables and minced meat in a frying pan, cover with a lid, and fry for about 20 minutes. Place grated cheese on top of the squash. Close the lid and fry over low heat for about 15 minutes. Fried squash not only tasty, but also healthy.
Today we are preparing fried squash - one of the simplest and most delicious dishes made from seasonal vegetables. I must say that my gastronomic acquaintance with these sunny fruits happened only this year. At the same time, I fell in love with squash right away - they are not only incredibly beautiful, but also very tasty. Try it, you will love fried squash too!
There is nothing complicated in preparing squash - we treat them the same way as we do with zucchini. It is best, of course, to use young fruits with thin skin (it can be easily pierced with a fingernail), which does not need to be peeled - then the pulp will be tender and the seeds will not be hard. By the way, for me personally, fried squash tastes much more expressive and rich compared to my favorite zucchini.
Fried squash is good on its own, but it’s even tastier served with sour cream or sour cream sauce. Fresh vegetables and herbs will also be a suitable addition to this simple and tasty dish. By the way, try fried squash with these types of sauces:
Ingredients:
Cooking step by step:
To prepare this simple vegetable dish, we will need squash, wheat flour (any type), refined vegetable oil (I use sunflower) oil, garlic, salt and ground black pepper. If desired, you can supplement the list of ingredients with other aromatic additives.
For frying, I advise you to choose young and small squashes (no more than 200 grams each) - then you just need to wash them, dry them and cut them into flat pieces (about 1 centimeter thick). If you still have large fruits, peel them and remove the seeds with soft insides. Cut the pulp itself into flat slices convenient for frying.
Place the vegetable pieces in a suitable bowl, salt and pepper to taste. We also add chopped fresh garlic, in the absence of which you can easily use dried (in the form of granules). Mix everything and leave the squash to salt and soak in the aroma of garlic and pepper for 15 minutes.
Take a wide frying pan, pour vegetable oil into it and heat it well. Place breaded squash in hot oil and fry over moderate heat without a lid until the bottom side is browned.
For quite a long time we did not imagine that vegetables such as squash could be stewed, fried and even baked into pudding. However, the growing brain cells required filling with information, so recipes for preparing dishes from squash had their time.
Like many people, we pickle and preserve squash. They are a great substitute for cucumbers. But, unlike the latter, squash can also be boiled. Dishes made from squash even serve as a side dish for the second dish. But first things first.
To prepare all recipes, we use only young ovaries, no more than 300-350 grams in weight and up to 10 cm in diameter. Preferably 5-7 days old, but older ones are also possible.
Recipes for cooking squash dishes, with photos
Salad
Ingredients:
- squash - 500 gr,
- sugar - 1 teaspoon,
- mayonnaise - 100-150 gr,
- tomatoes, herbs, salt - to taste.
Cut the squash into slices, put it in boiling water, add a little sugar. Boil, strain and cool. Place in a salad bowl, pour mayonnaise, sprinkle with dill and finely chopped tomatoes.
Stewed
Ingredients:
- squash - 300-400 g,
- butter - 50 g,
- fried meat - 100-150 g,
- tomatoes - 2-3 pcs.,
- pepper, salt.
In this recipe we use 8-12 days old squash, which we cut into cubes, mix with small pieces of meat, simmer, adding salt, for 20-25 minutes over low heat together. Fry some tomatoes cut into slices.
Place tomatoes on top of the mixture, place the dish in the oven for 10-20 minutes over medium heat and serve, sprinkled with pepper.
Boiled
Ingredients:
- squash - 250 gr,
- butter - 25 g,
- salt.
Place young, 3-5 day old squash, sliced and peeled, into hot salted water and cook for 15-20 minutes in a sealed container. Place the vegetables in a colander, place on a dish and season with butter. If desired, sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Fried
Ingredients:
- squash - 250 gr,
- butter - 25 g,
- flour - 10 g,
- sour cream - 50 g,
- salt pepper.
Cut the squash into slices 1 cm thick, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and, roll in flour, fry until golden brown.
Place the vegetable slices warm on a dish and, sprinkle with sour cream or mayonnaise, serve.
Stuffed with meat
Ingredients:
- squash - 150 gr,
- meat (beef or lamb) - 120 g,
- rice - 30 g,
- onions - 20 g,
- butter - 5 g,
- sour cream or sauce - 100 g,
- cheese - 5 g,
- crackers, herbs, pepper, salt.
Cut off the top of the squash, remove the core and blanch in salted water for three to four minutes.
Sauté the onion and pass it together with the meat through a meat grinder. Wash and boil the rice, mix with minced meat, add salt, pepper and mix.
Stuff the squash with meat and place it on a baking sheet greased with butter, sprinkle with grated cheese, and sprinkle with vegetable oil. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 180 degrees.
There is a sequel to this squash dish that we sometimes use. After 30 minutes of baking, fill the squash with sour cream and boil for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with dry mint and dill. In general, dishes made from various vegetables, such as, for example, a cake made from it, enjoy great prestige at our dinner table. Bon appetit everyone!
Patisson is an annual herbaceous plant that looks like a small compact bush with large leaves and large yellow flowers. It belongs to the pumpkin family. In fact, this is just one of the varieties of an ordinary pumpkin, only in an unusual shape.
Garden fruits are also called squash. They attract attention with their plate-shaped shape and interesting coloring. The most common shades are white, yellow and ashy. Much less often you can find squash in green, orange and combined colors.
Despite the fact that squash is a type of pumpkin, its taste is closer to zucchini. Therefore, all recipes in which zucchini serves as the main ingredient can be safely used for preparing squash.
Small pumpkins, almost the ovary, are pickled, fermented, stuffed with cottage cheese, vegetables or meat. Large fruits are used to prepare pancakes, casseroles, simply fry them in breading or add them to complex side dishes.
Examples of recipes
Option 1 Pickled squash ovary
For this dish, it is necessary to select the smallest squash, actually a large ovary, with a diameter of no more than 3-4 cm. The technology for fermenting vegetables is identical to the fermentation of cucumbers, so if the housewife has her own original recipe for their preparation, then you can try it on squash.
Time costs 2-5 days. The dosage is given per 2 kg. fruits
Ingredients:
- Small squash with soft skin – 2 kg.
- Horseradish leaves or root – 4-5 pcs.
- Garlic - half a head.
- Black currant – 1 sprig with leaves and buds.
- Dill or fennel – 5-6 sprigs.
- Salt – 3 tbsp. spoons.
- Cold water - as needed.
Preparation:
- The stalks of the squash are removed by cutting a small hole at the junction. This will allow the brine to penetrate into the vegetable faster.
- Place all the greens on the bottom of the dish (two or three leaves of horseradish are left for the “lid”), and garlic cloves cut into halves.
- The squash is placed tightly in a pan, filled with brine, and covered with the remaining horseradish leaves. A load is placed on top.
- In a day or a day and a half, foam will appear. As soon as this happens, the squash must be carefully turned to release excess air. Then put them under the weight again.
- After 2-3 days you will get “lightly salted” squash, which can already be eaten. To make a stronger pickle, place the container with vegetables in a cold, dry cellar or refrigerator. The squash, along with the herbs and brine, can be immediately transferred to a sterilized glass jar. Until the end of fermentation, the jar cannot be closed with a lid, only with gauze.
- It is worth considering that the larger the fruit, the longer the fermentation takes.
Option 2 Stuffed squash Dietary
An ideal dish for those who are forced to follow a diet and are very tired of monotonous cereals and purees. Any minced meat made from lean meat is suitable as a filling. In this case, a variation of chicken breast and lean pork is presented in a one-to-one ratio.
The squash for this dish is selected to be of medium size, with a diameter of up to 10 cm. If the skin of the fruit is hard, it is removed using a vegetable peeler.
Cooking time – 1.5 hours. You can cook it in various ways - steamed in a pressure cooker, stewed in a duck pot or deep frying pan, baked on a baking sheet. The quantity of products is given for 5 servings.
Ingredients:
- Squash – 10 pcs.
- Onion – 2 large onions.
- Paprika – 1 large red pod.
- Lean pork – 300 g.
- Chicken breast – 300 g.
- Hard cheese - optional.
- Spices and salt - according to desire.
Preparation:
- The “lid with the stalk” is cut off from the squash and the core is cleaned, cutting out about half of the vegetable. Prick lightly with a fork.
- Pork and chicken breast are ground in a food processor. If a meat grinder is used, then the minced meat is passed through it several times so that the meat is mixed into the most homogeneous mass. The meat should be ground “to dust” and not in the form of small chopped pieces.
- The bulbs are grated on a coarse grater.
- Paprika is cleared of seeds and skin, cut into very small cubes.
- Onion puree and paprika are added to the minced meat. Salt and pepper, add other spices as desired.
- Cleaned squash is stuffed with minced meat.
- Cook in the oven on a baking sheet for 1 hour at a temperature of 170 or 180 degrees. In a pressure cooker or roaster, 40 minutes is enough. 5 minutes before the “baskets” are ready, sprinkle them with cheese.
- When baked, the filling will be quite dense. To achieve a more delicate texture, you can add white bread to the minced meat to taste. Also, if you are using a pressure cooker or a duck pot, then you need to pour a little water on the bottom.
Option 3 Breaded squash, fried with bacon, onion and garlic
This hearty dish can be eaten on its own or combined with boiled potatoes or a light vegetable salad. They take any squash for him. Young ones, without seeds, are cut into circles directly with the skin. Old specimens, with thick skin and ripened seeds, are first cleaned and cut into peculiar crescents about 1 cm thick.
Time required – 40 minutes.
Ingredients:
- Patissons
- Breadcrumbs
- Chicken egg – 1 pc.
- Bacon – 200 g.
- Garlic – 2-3 cloves.
- Onion – 2 large onions.
- Salt and seasonings - to taste.
- Butter or vegetable oil.
Preparation:
- The onion is cut into thick rings and fried in butter until golden brown, avoiding burning. It should turn out sweet and juicy. The rings are transferred to another bowl, allowing excess fat to drain off.
- Next, bacon or boiled smoked brisket is well fried in a frying pan, almost until it becomes chips.
- Caramelize 2-3 cloves of minced garlic in the remaining bacon fat. Mix it with bacon and onions.
- Beat the egg with a couple of tablespoons of water, spices and salt.
- Pieces of squash are dipped in the egg mixture and then in breadcrumbs.
- Fry them until fully cooked in the remaining garlic oil in the frying pan.
- All components are combined in a serving dish and decorated with herbs.
Certain subtleties of preparing squash have already been mentioned above in the recipes, but repetition will not hurt:
- Young fruits are best suited for pickling, pickling or frying. If you use them to make dough for pancakes or casseroles, it will turn out too watery.
- Large old fruits, on the contrary, are good in casseroles and pancakes. Pairs well with cheese, meat, mushrooms, herbs, and bell peppers.
- Small squash do not need special preparation before cooking. They are added whole or in halves to prefabricated stews or side dishes. If the skin has already become slightly roughened, then prick the vegetables with a fork. Old fruits must be peeled and seeds removed.
- The best “companions” in dishes for squash are tomatoes, garlic, onions, paprika, dark meats and hard cheeses. Mushrooms are good with these pumpkins only in combination with other ingredients. Since if we take only squash and mushrooms (especially greenhouse mushrooms) as a basis, the taste of the food will be quite poor. As for herbs and seasonings, it is better to give preference to products with a pronounced pungent and spicy taste - dill, laurel, horseradish, root parsley and parsnips, basil, mixtures containing coriander seeds, cumin, black and allspice, chili.
- But whether the combination of squash with eggplant, asparagus and grain beans, and various types of cabbage (kohlrabi, broccoli, white and red cabbage, Savoy, Peking, Brussels sprouts) will turn out tasty depends on the skill of the cook and his personal preferences.
Useful and medicinal properties of squash
The secret of the medicinal properties of squash lies in its high content fiber– an important element thanks to which it is possible to successfully combat disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver and gall bladder. Regular consumption of fiber helps get rid of constipation, difficulty urinating, weak bile secretion and prevents toxins and waste from accumulating in the body. In addition, this substance is involved in an important process - the restoration of glycogen in the liver.
Young squash are considered the most useful - in this form, this vegetable has a more valuable therapeutic effect, and also contributes much better to the absorption of proteins and maintaining an alkaline blood reaction. Dishes made from the young product are recommended for those recovering from a long illness and operations.
Young squash fruits contain a large amount of an incredibly useful element - a substance that allows you to neutralize the effect of bad cholesterol, enveloping it and removing the harmful substance from the body. This greatly helps improve the condition of blood vessels and the quality of the blood.
Slightly unripe squash with tender flesh is recommended for the following diseases:- atherosclerosis;
- diabetes;
- hypertension;
- cataract;
- anemia.
Finally, the squash is endowed antioxidant properties, therefore, they contribute to a significant strengthening of the immune system, neutralizing harmful radicals due to the presence of lutein in their composition.
No less useful are squash seeds, which are recommended for combating kidney and liver diseases, improve the functioning of the genitourinary and digestive systems, as well as to normalize metabolism.
This part of the plant is prescribed for the treatment of gout and edema caused by disorders of the thyroid gland, since important substances in their composition remove excess salt from the body, which accumulates in the joints and leads to deformation of hard tissues.
Chemical composition
Patisson has low calorie(only 19.4 kcal/100 g), and also contains a very large amount of fiber, for this reason the fruits are classified as dietary products. Despite this, dishes made from this vegetable are quite nutritious, so they are included in the diet of people who are losing weight.
Energy value:
Squash fruits have a rich vitamin composition, which includes large quantities of vitamins B and, as well as vitamin C, which is important for the immune system.
Depending on the color of the squash, its chemical composition changes slightly. For example, yellow-orange vegetables contain vitamins A and E, whose action has a positive effect on getting rid of thrombophlebitis and thrombosis. These elements also improve vision and relieve stress.
Squash is rich in macro- and microelements that are required for the normal functioning of the body. Due to the high iron content, as well as substances that improve the absorption of this important mineral, the fruits of this plant are useful for anemia.
This healthy vegetable also contains mineral salts, enzymes, healthy sugars and other important substances that contribute to overall health and strengthening of defenses. Only... can compete with such a unique composition and its effect on the body.
What are the benefits of squash for weight loss?
Squash is often used in various therapeutic diets, including those designed for healthy weight loss. This beneficial effect is associated with high content fiber contained in this vegetable.
The beneficial dietary properties of fiber are very important for losing extra pounds: - saturates quickly;
- removes excess water;
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- prevents fermentation;
- helps digest proteins;
- relieves constipation.
There is even mono-diet based on this vegetable, thanks to which its founders promise weight loss of up to 4 kg per week. The main advantage of such a diet is the ability to combine this product with others, maintaining a balanced diet. It is important to exclude fatty, fried, sweet and flour foods, and also drink more water.
When preparing medicinal and healthy dishes from this tasty vegetable, it is important to take into account its peculiarity - improved protein digestibility. It is for this reason that it is recommended to be consumed with lean poultry, soft and... This further demonstrates its dietary properties, since protein and fiber quickly satiate and repel the feeling of hunger for a long time, and also do not add extra pounds and preserve muscle mass.
What and how can you cook from squash tasty and quickly?
Squash is prepared in completely different ways - they are stewed, fried, boiled, stuffed, baked, canned, and also made into caviar and even jam. This unique vegetable goes well with other products of plant and animal origin.
Celery.
Squash, likewise, can be stuffed with meat or minced meat, and then put in the oven and baked. To do this, you will need to chop half a kilo of meat, chop an onion and finely chop a clove. All components must be mixed together with the vegetable pulp and placed in a pot formed from squash.
How to cook squash correctly
Unlike many other vegetables, squash cannot be eaten raw, since this product requires mandatory heat treatment before eating it.
To prepare a healthy dish that retains a large number of biologically active substances, you need to choose young squash. An overripe vegetable loses some of its taste properties, acquires a hard crust and loose pulp, and also becomes absolutely useless for health. Before using it for cooking, you need to peel the fruit itself from the skin and seeds, and then cut it into cubes.
How to choose a good product
In order for squash to bring health benefits, you should pay attention to several important points. Juicy orange and yellow fruits have medicinal properties, so primary preference should be given to this type of product.
When choosing squash, fruits that are neat in shape, without dents or stains, and have dry tails are suitable. A dried stalk indicates that the vegetable is completely ready for sale. The pulp of the fresh product is white and dense, the texture resembles a zucchini, and the taste resembles an artichoke.
How to use the product
A surprisingly large number of healthy dishes can be prepared from squash, but it is important to observe the norm of its consumption - adults are allowed no more than 0.5 kilograms per day, and for children - no more than 150 g.
How to store squash
Fresh squash is best consumed immediately, but if you plan to postpone their preparation for a longer period, it is important to follow correct storage conditions. Otherwise, the fruits will quickly deteriorate and become unusable. To enjoy their wonderful taste for as long as possible, squash can be dried, frozen or canned. At home, this vegetable remains fresh for just under a week, and its storage temperature should not exceed +10 degrees. To do this, you can leave it in the refrigerator, placing it in the vegetable drawer. The main thing is to make sure that the squash does not touch each other.
Squash can be frozen for the winter, but only small fruits the size no more than 5-7 cm. Small fruits are washed in cold water, wiped dry, placed in a bag and sealed. In this form they are sent to the freezer, where they are stored for up to 10 months.
Like zucchini, squash is stored in storage rooms and cellars– in any dark and cool place where there are no strong odors. It is important to remember that the fruits should not come into contact with anything else, and they should also be periodically checked for spoilage.
Harm and contraindications
With all its benefits and absolute hypoallergenic, squash has a small number of contraindications and can cause some harm to the body. This vegetable should not be consumed by those who have frequent intestinal upsets as it causes a mild laxative effect, which further aggravates the problem. Excessive and uncontrolled consumption of young fruits also causes dysfunction of the digestive system.
The incredibly tasty and healthy squash is in demand in cooking and as a product that significantly strengthens the human body. What dishes have you tried to cook with squash?
Hello, dear friends! Let's talk today about squash, a close relative of zucchini and pumpkin. Many people grow this vegetable in the garden not only because of its beneficial properties, but also because of its original shape. Gramophone-shaped fruits always look good on the table. I also planted them this year, a lot of them grew and now I have a question: how to cook squash? I had to take out my famous notebook again, look through magazines and I found a lot of interesting recipes. I share them with you.
But first, I’ll tell you where this vegetable came from and whether there are any benefits from it.
The homeland of squash, like zucchini and pumpkin, is considered to be the American continent, where it began to be grown five thousand years ago. The squash was brought to Europe from the American continent after South America became a Spanish colony. Since the 17th century, the vegetable has gained wide popularity in European countries. And two centuries later it could be found in Ukraine, and then found in Siberia.
Experts say that squash is superior in taste to its counterparts - zucchini and pumpkin. The small fruits taste like young mushrooms, and very small squash with tender and not yet roughened skin are generally considered a delicacy.
It is the young fruits that are the most tasty, healthy and nutritious. The fruit contains proteins, carbohydrates, and a small amount of fat. The calorie content of 100 grams of raw squash is no more than 20 kcal, which is useful for dietary nutrition and weight loss. In addition, there are pectin substances and sugars, and sugars are represented by fructose and glucose, which are easily absorbed in the body.
The chemical composition is also varied. This is an excellent source of mineral salts: potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium. Microelements include iron, cobalt, molybdenum, copper, aluminum, titanium, and zinc. Vitamins include ascorbic acid, carotene, B1 and B2. And squash contains more vitamin E than pumpkin and zucchini.
Beneficial features
Due to their rich mineral composition, high fiber content and low calorie content, squash is good for dietary nutrition. In addition, they help normalize metabolic processes, increase immunity, prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, liver and kidney diseases, anemia, and help remove “bad” cholesterol from the body.
Scientists have found that yellow fruits contain the substance lutein, which is 4-5 times more than other varieties of squash. Lutein is an antioxidant that not only helps neutralize free radicals, but also prevents the formation of blood clots in blood vessels and promotes longevity. This quality is especially important for the health of older people.
Oil is prepared from squash seeds, which is a highly nutritious and vitamin-rich product. The oil contains glycosides, saturated fatty acids, and lecithin. Moreover, there is almost as much lecithin in oil as in chicken eggs.
For liver or kidney diseases, peeled seeds are used. To do this, grind the seeds into powder in a coffee grinder and take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day, half an hour before meals, with water. This powder will help improve the absorption of protein foods, normalize intestinal function and help glycogen be better absorbed in the liver.
The juice from the pulp helps remove excess salts from the body, normalizes intestinal function and soothes.
To whom are squash harmful?
There are no contraindications for consuming fresh vegetables, but people with various intestinal disorders should use them with caution, as consumption may worsen the disease.
Still, canned squash should not be consumed.
- children under 10 years of age;
- patients with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys;
- persons with low blood pressure.
People with low blood pressure should consume squash dishes with caution.
How to cook squash - cooking recipes
Fried squash
Products:
- 4 small squash fruits
- 2 eggs
- 100 g cheese
- Butter
- Parsley
- Flour for breading
How to cook:
Wash the squash, peel and cut into slices.
Separately, melt the butter in a saucepan or frying pan, add 1 egg, grated cheese, salt and finely chopped parsley, stirring, and heat the mixture.
Spread the egg-cheese mixture on each slice and connect the slices in pairs, bread them in flour, dip in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
This dish is perfect as an independent vegetable dish for breakfast or dinner, and will also be an excellent side dish for meat.
Required Products:
- 4-5 medium sized squash
- any minced meat 150-200g
- 2 onions
- boiled eggs
- spices and salt
- parsley
- grated cheese
The upper part of washed fruits is cut off and the middle is cut out. Add a little salt inside and leave for a few minutes, after which we drain the resulting juice.
Peel the carrots and onions, finely chop and fry in vegetable oil, add minced meat and simmer a little more, then cool. Finely chop the boiled eggs and also add to the minced meat. Then salt the minced meat, pepper to taste, add finely chopped parsley and marjoram.
Fill the squash with the resulting filling, sprinkle cheese on top, wrap it in foil and put it in the oven to bake. A few minutes before it’s ready, open the foil and let the cheese brown. Bake at a temperature of 180-200º for 20 minutes.
You can use more than just minced meat for the filling. Roasted vegetable mixtures are quite suitable for this purpose.
Cereal casserole with squash and apples
You will need:
- rice porridge, millet, oatmeal
- squash weighing 100-150g
- 2 eggs
- 1 apple
- half a glass of flour
- salt and sugar to taste
Preparation.
First, cook a thick porridge from any of the listed cereals. You can cook the porridge immediately with milk, or you can add milk later.
Cut the apple and squash into small cubes and add them to the porridge. Add salt and sugar, eggs to taste, and mix everything thoroughly. If the porridge was cooked without milk, then add a little milk. Place the mixture in a greased pan and bake in the oven at 200º for 40 minutes.
You can serve the casserole either hot or cold, decorate with herbs and add sour cream.
Canned squash
For canning, small specimens are taken, larger ones are cut into several pieces. The fruits are blanched for 3-5 minutes, depending on size, then cooled in water.
At the bottom of the jar, place sliced onion, a clove of garlic, 2-3 black peppercorns, the same amount of cloves, bay leaf, then fill the jar with squash and pour hot brine.
Brine: add 50 g of salt, 25 g of sugar, 70 g of 9% vinegar to 1 liter of water.
Pasteurize 0.5 liter jars for 10 minutes, 1.0 liter jars for 15 minutes. Then the jars are rolled up and covered until completely cool.
Squash and zucchini jam
For 1 kg of peeled squash take 1.2 kg of sugar, 1 glass of water, 1 tbsp. sea buckthorn berries.
Dip the prepared fruits into boiling sugar syrup and cook for 5 minutes, and then remove from the heat. After 8 hours, the jam is brought back to a boil, boiled again for 5 minutes, and then left for 10 hours. This is done 4 times. At the end of cooking, add 3 g of citric acid to the jam.
Sea buckthorn in jam can be replaced with orange or lemon, which must first be peeled and seeded. The same jam can be cooked together with zucchini.
Squash with bell pepper in sweet marinade
Watch this recipe in this video.
Dear readers, perhaps you have your own recipes for how to cook squash, share them in the comments. That's all I have for today. Be healthy and don't forget to subscribe to the blog news - there will be a lot more interesting things!
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When we lived in Uzbekistan, we always prepared a lot of squash for the winter. They were twisted separately, and also made assorted, adding cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and onions. They could have added young zucchini and cabbage. The preserved jars turned out to be very “cheerful” in color and were quickly eaten. You try two of all the vegetables, and the jar is already empty.
But here's what's interesting. While we lived there, we always bought small squash at the market. And until some time I couldn’t even imagine that they could grow big.
But when we moved to live in the Urals, I first saw large squash sold by grandmothers outside the store. It was their harvest grown in the garden. And when I once bought such large squash from my grandmother, she asked me: “Daughter, what are you going to do with them?”
I fried such large specimens then. And it turned out to be a delicious vegetable dish. But in order to preserve them small, I had to raise them myself.
Marinated squash is something! I consider them a delicacy. But not because they are difficult to pickle, but because to harvest them small, you need a fairly large growing space. I don’t have such a place, apparently, like those grandmothers at the store.
Therefore, I had to resort to a trick. I grow them a little larger than the small ones. And I cut it in half, and at that time I collect some squash small. That’s how I marinate, the small ones whole, and the larger ones in halves.
The main thing is that they are not overgrown. If they are overgrown, they won’t be as tasty and won’t crisp either. Because the seeds in the middle are already quite large, and when cooked, the middle becomes soft. Therefore, when you pickle these delicious vegetables, pay attention to the size. Size matters here!
Pickled squash - preparation for the winter
We will need (the recipe is for a liter jar):
- squash - 500-600 g (depending on size)
- garlic - 5-6 cloves
- dill - 3 sprigs
- parsley - 2-3 sprigs
- horseradish leaf
- bay leaf - 2 pcs
- red hot pepper - piece
- allspice peas - 3-4 pcs
- black peppercorns - 10 pieces
- salt - 1 tbsp. spoon
- sugar - 1 tbsp
- vinegar essence - 0.5 teaspoon
Preparation:
2. While the jars are being sterilized, let’s prepare everything else. Wash the squash and cut off the stems. Also, use a sharp knife to cut out the dark place where the flower is attached on the opposite side.
3. Boil water, place the squash in it and blanch for 5 minutes.
4. Then remove them with a slotted spoon so that the hot water immediately drains, and place them in cold water for rapid cooling. The squash should not become soft during heat treatment. Our task is that after opening the jar, they are dense and crispy.
5. Peel the garlic and cut each clove into two halves.
6. Place horseradish on the bottom of a clean and sterilized jar. From a large sheet you will need to cut a strip 3-3.5 cm thick.
7. Then put 1 bay leaf, all the peppers, and clove buds. Place a small piece of red capsicum, no more than 1 cm thick.
8. Also add half of the dill and parsley.
Dill sprigs can be replaced with dill seeds. Or you can add both! Once I have the seeds, I add a couple of pinches. It makes a very flavorful marinade.
9. Now we put the squash themselves into the jars, the less space left in the jar, the better. So try to pack them as tightly as possible. Place the remaining bay leaf and parsley in the middle. And on top are sprigs of dill. Arrange the layers with pieces of garlic.
10. Pour water into the pan at the rate of 0.5 liters of water per liter jar. Let it boil. When it boils add salt and sugar. You need to calculate it like this.
For a liter jar we will use half a liter of water, which means we need to add a tablespoon of salt and sugar. If you boil 1 liter of water, then add 2 tablespoons of salt and sugar, and so on.
11. When the water with sugar and salt boils, boil it for 5 minutes.
12. Pour vinegar essence into the brine. And immediately pour the marinade into the jars right up to the neck.
Or we pour the essence directly into jars of brine so as not to boil it. This is exactly what I do.
Immediately cover the jar with a sterilized lid.
13. Let stand for 5 minutes. At the same time, it will be good to rotate the jar from side to side so that there are no air bubbles left in it. But make sure that the lid does not open again.
To avoid scratching the table, it is better to place the jar on a towel.
14. Meanwhile, prepare a large saucepan. We line its bottom with gauze or cloth. Pour hot water, but not boiling water. And we put a jar of squash in it for sterilization. The water should reach the “shoulders” of the jar.
There are recipes where squash can be preserved without sterilization. But I'm not taking any chances. Over the years of my practice, squash have shown themselves to be quite capricious when preserved. That's why I always sterilize them now, just to be sure.
I feel sorry when so much work has been spent on growing and preserving, and the lid gets swelled and swells. And such a blank has to be opened and thrown away. And if you sterilize them just a little, then the jars last the whole year, and they can last longer. And nothing happens to them.
15. Sterilize a liter jar for 20 minutes. Two-liter - 40 minutes, three-liter - 1 hour.
Time is counted from the moment when the water in a large pan boils, that is, reaches 100 degrees. During sterilization, the water should constantly boil, but it should not boil and pour out of the pan.
Probably few people will screw squash into three-liter jars. But if someone decides to do so, then follow the temporary rules.
16. When the allotted time is up, remove the jar from the water using special tongs and screw the lid on with a seaming machine.
If you accidentally opened the lid when taking it out, you will have to repeat the procedure, but slightly reduce the time.
If such a moment occurs, then add boiling marinade to the jar and close the lid again. Then put the jar to sterilize again, but for 7-10 minutes.
17. When the jars are screwed on, turn them over and place them on the lid to cool. However, there is no need to cover them with a blanket or rug. The squash is very tender, and we don’t want it to cook!
18. When the jars have cooled completely, turn them over again and place them in a cool, dark place for storage. Let them sit for one month to marinate as best as possible.
Pickled squash prepared according to this recipe stores well, the lids do not swell and the jars do not explode. The recipe has been tested over many years of practice.
Marinating them is not difficult at all. One liter jar takes approximately 35-40 minutes. If you make two jars, the time increases by only 10 minutes. That is, in an hour, you can marinate three or four liter jars.
But when in winter you open the jar and put delicious pickled squash on the festive table, it will be the most popular snack.
I always save a jar like this for New Years and Birthdays! And the plate with them is always empty first. And it shouldn’t be otherwise, bright yellow, small summer “suns” always remind us of summer, sun and warmth. Plus they turn out tasty and crispy.
Therefore, if you have summer cottages, plant several squash bushes. And be sure to marinate them for the winter, either whole or in pieces. You will then see for yourself how much positive they will bring you in winter.
I hope you will try this recipe for squash. And I wish that they turn out tasty and crispy for you!
Bon appetit!