Parmesan Garlic Squash Fries

Kevin’s Keep Your Girl Lava Fries (Garlic Squash Fries)

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Servings: 4 servings (about 1 heaping cup each)
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil spray (propellant free)
  • 1 butternut squash (at least 2 1/2 pounds; not all will be used for this recipe) or 1 pound crinkle cut butternut squash sticks
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (preferably natural)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil. Lightly mist it with spray.
  2. Cut both ends from the squash, then peel it, making sure to remove both the very outer layer of peel and the inner bit that is much lighter than most of the squash. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Using a large spoon, scrape out the seeds. Cut the top portions just above the seeds off both halves (reserve the area with the seeds for another recipe). Using a crinkle cutter, cut 1/2 inch thick by approximately 4 inch long fry like pieces from the top portions until you have 1 pound of “fries” (reserve any excess with the bottoms).
  3. Transfer the fries to a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle them with olive oil then sprinkle the cheese, parsley, garlic, paprika, and salt over top. Gently toss them until the fries are evenly coated.
  4. Place the fries on the prepared baking sheet so they don’t touch. Bake them until the fries are caramelized and tender throughout, about 20-25 minutes per side. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Each (about 1 heaping cup) serving has: 176 calories, 2.4 g fat, trace saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 359 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 30 g protein.
Cook’s Note: this recipe calls for a squash that is at least 2 1/2 pounds so you can handle it with ease. You will have a hearty portion of the squash leftover to use in another recipe. But if you buy a smaller squash, it will be very difficult to get even, fry like pieces.
From You Can Have It! by Devin Alexander, published in conjunction with the American Diabetes Association.
A note on salt: the American Diabetes Association had me follow very strict sodium guidelines for this book. If you don’t need to watch your sodium intake, feel free to just salt this recipe to taste and skip the specific salt suggestion below.