chipotle lime roasted delicata squash

With snow nipping at our heels here in Denver (Arapahoe Basin opened Thursday!), I’m feeling a little anxious to make sure I bask in the relatively warm weather while still enjoying the smells and colors of fall. And that applies to eating too. I don’t really want to eat tomatoes and basil, but I’m hesitant to treat all of my produce with a heavily spiced hand. So let’s merge the two worlds. Bright, spicy chipotle and lime with crispy, warm roasted winter squash chunks.
Now that the weather has taken a turn for the wonderful, I’m starting to get back into running. I couldn’t exactly muster the desire to slog in the blistering heat of summer for miles on end. Biking, another thing. It doesn’t really seem to matter how heavily you’re breathing, the wind on your face always feels better than if you weren’t biking. I suffered through weekly CrossFit Hero WODs in the sun, but that’s like an addiction. Running is weird, I both love and loathe it. Somedays it seems like the most god awful activity invented, and other days it’s so much fun wandering around neighborhoods and ogling old houses that I want to be mine, looking at the mountains, running around lakes and parks, enjoying the anything-but-summer-weather. It also seems appropriate to renew my interest because my gym is doing a 30 day nutrition challenge and I’m all revved up to be wonderful! Perfect healthy eating! Perfect graceful runner!
Perfect healthy eating, okay, that’s not going to be the same for every person, but I think we can all agree that you’re definitely working toward perfect with eating delicata squash. Not only is it my beloved/behated winter squash, but wait it truly is just beloved because you don’t have to peel it! You still have to scoop out the seeds, but nevertheless. You can stuff it, cube it, slice it, bake it, roast it, mash it! And you can season it with spicy ground chipotle peppers and dress it with lime vinaigrette and fresh cilantro leaves!
This would go really well with a roast pork shoulder, or pork in general. Greens would be nice on your plate too, so you could stir in some spinach right after the squash comes out of the oven so that it wilts. Then, with the dressing, it’s more of a warm salad, rather than a side dish. I also think that roasted squash is perfect with eggs in the morning, reheated in a hot greased pan to recrisp it. If you can’t find chipotle powder, or don’t want to grind your own from dried chipotle peppers, you can approximate it by mixing equal parts smoked paprika and chili powder.

chipotle lime roasted delicata squash

2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds and pulp scooped out
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 – 2 teaspoons chipotle powder, depending on how spicy you like it
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut the squash halves crosswise into roughly 3/4 inch semi circles.

3. On a large rimmed baking sheet or baking pan, toss squash with 2 tablespoons oil, chipotle powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange in a single layer.

4. Roast until fork tender and crispy, flipping halfway through, for about 25 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the lime juice and zest. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

6. When squash is done, drizzle dressing over top and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.

So super simple, and have fun trying not to eat the whole thing.