Shreddin’

It’s squash season, or as I say it in my head, “skvosh.”

When I can use my mom’s or my grandmother’s food processors, I jump on it. I like my squash grated.

A month ago, I made grated squash-black bean quesadillas. I mixed canned refried black beans with pickled jalapenos, grated squash, and cured olives. Next time I’ll make my own refried black beans since the pickled jalapenos and cured olives brought plenty of salt. However, the concept was solid and the shredded squash added a nice mouthfeel and creaminess.

When you don’t want to cook everything to death because the heat is addling your brain, how ’bout a slaw?

I used a passel of flying saucer-shaped pattypan squash I got at the Arlington farmers market to make what I call squash monomeal.

Spellcheck doesn’t like “monomeal.” As I’ve been reading on the interwebs about this monomeal concept, whereat a person eats a meal’s worth of calories of one ingredient—fruit, vegetable, rice—I gave it a go accidentally when I was travelling back to Virginia from New Jersey in June. I hadn’t packed dinner and I was still driving at dinnertime (Philly traffic). I had made this slaw earlier in the day and ended up eating the entire recipe (about three squashes of various types) for dinner.

Squash Slaw

3-6 squashes (yellow, zucchini, pattypan, other summer varieties)

2 tablespoons tamari (make sure it’s GF)

2 tablespoons mild vinegar (rice or apple cider)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame or extra virgin olive oil

Grate the squash or shred it in a food processor. In a large bowl, toss squash with tamari, vinegar, and oil. Let sit for a few hours or overnight before consuming.

Yes, two tablespoons of tamari is a lot of salt to eat the entire recipe. This time I made enough to have twice.

Since I was born on Halloween, I think liking squash is in my blood; I’m already plotting what to do with the sweet winter squashes.

OK, so it wasn't a true monomeal, but I had this slaw, tea, and chocolate banana scones for dinner. Pretty simple meal in my book.

Parting shots:

INSANITY is working. A few years ago, I read about abdominal height as another way to look at a person's health and estimate visceral fat.  As I undertook INSANITY in order to reduce my visceral fat (fat around internal organs), I'm on the right track.

Enjoying my grandparents' pool on a 90-degree day.

Ciao,

Q