Butternut Squash Toast

I think we need different alternatives to avocado toast. I'll be the first to admit that I enjoy eating avocado toast at Plenty in Mumbai with their beet puree, avocado, goat cheese and radish concoction, and Pom och Flora here in Stockholm, because they jazz it up with chermoula (North African spicing agent) but the rest of them are downright boring, expensive and often with very little avocado, and not to mention pretty bad for the environment what with the amount of water they need to grow and the long transport to reach you.

I've been thinking about how to eat more sustainably lately, because we can all be a bit better. So for me living in Sweden, I could make a toast with beets and carrots, or even butternut squash because you can squirrel them up from the farmers market and store them for months. In fact, the longer you keep them, the higher the carotenoid in them! Carotenoids are the pigmented antioxidants that convert into vitamin A/retinol in the body, which is great for eye health. They require fat to do the work, so don't skimp on the fat in this recipe.

Squashes are famous for sucking up pesticides from the ground, which is why it is especially important to buy organic squash. This way, you can even eat the skin, which means more fiber. I like to cut them in half-inch slices and drizzle with a heat-safe oil (like coconut oil) and roast the seeds on the same tray because they get nice and crunchy and are a great snack; I stash the leftover squash in a freezer container and make this toast whenever I want. This also means that there's like zero waste of this extremely large vegetable.

I love this butternut squash toast, kind of obsessed with it. It's one of those things that I will make for my family when I meet them next. You know, something to write home about. (I always think about the meal, whether it's something to write home about? In this case, yes!). If you like this recipe, please let me know!

/Divya


Butternut Squash Toast
1 toast

1 butternut squash
Melted coconut oil

For the toast:
1 slice of sourdough walnut bread
2-3 sliced roasted butternut squash
1/2 tbs red onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh coriander, chopped
Salt and pepper
A sprinkling of chili powder
1 tbs miso paste
Pumpkin seeds
Nutritional yeast

1. Prepare the squash: Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Cut the squash into half-inch rounds and place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Place the seeds under some of the squash so that they don't burn in the oven. Brush each squash with oil on both sides. Roast until tender. Cool and place extra in a freezer-safe container in the freezer and enjoy whenever. Save the seeds in a jar and leave on the counter to snack on whenever it strikes your fancy.

2. Toast the bread and spread a layer of miso on. In a bowl, mash the squash with a fork and mix in onion, coriander, salt, pepper and chili powder. Layer it on top of the miso and garnish with pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast. Makes the best breakfast!