I found an easy, delicious way to prepare butternut squash using the microwave. Start with a butternut squash, and peel it using a standard vegetable peeler. Cut open, remove seeds, and cube it up into a covered, microwave-safe casserole dish big enough to hold all the bite size cubes your squash produces.
I top the squash with 3-5 pats of butter, and drizzle a little (tablespoon?) of olive oil over the cubes, and spice it with Badia complete. I have also had good results with other spice mixes, such as garlic and herb, so you might want to experiment with your fave blend. I also add Badia bagel topping for the nutty flavor, but you could add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (tablespoon?) for a similar result.
Depending on how big your squash was, the microwave time will vary. I use full power. It also depends on how “cooked” you want your squash – I like the ‘al dente’ firmness of lightly cooked. You can adjust cooking time to your personal taste – more minutes equals softer cubes. A small squash can be ready in as few as 3-4 minutes – a big one can take 15-20 minutes. I like to stop and stir, because it distributes the spice flavors and recoats the cubes with the butter/oil mix, too.
Once you are satisfied with the doneness, stir the cubes once more and serve!
Dirtdaubber Wasp 