squishies.

Do you love these pretty little babies as much as I do? Dumpling squash; even your name is adorable! And BONUS, I never knew they were so insanely easy to make. The skin is totally edible and a lot of recipes say you can even just steam them in the microwave and dig in. I can't wait to do a million other things with these, especially sweet applications.
Tonight - Lasagna! This would work with any squash you have on hand, likely. I used butternut and dumpling. The sweetness and color blended in with the cashew cheese really make a more filling, whole meal; not to mention it only adds about 40 calories per cup and tons of fiber and Vitamin A.

Squashsagna
One dumpling squash (I blended this with leftover butternut squash from pizza night!)
Olive oil
Sprinklies of nutmeg and sage
No-bake lasagna noodles
Nut based ricotta cheese (or any farmer's type of cheese)
Panko or homemade breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
2 tablespoons flour
2 c unsweetened soy milk
Tsp. Onion powder
2 spoonfuls tofu cream cheese (optional, but a yummy addition if on hand)

Split your squash(es) and scoop out the seeds. For the dumpling, I just cut it into slices and roasted coated in olive oil and spices at 400 for about 20 minutes, turning halfway. I do this in the morning and then cook my meal at night, but if you're doing it in one shot, make sure this cools before mixing with your cheese.
Put your squash into a food processor with about 2 cups of your cheese (you're aiming for equal parts here). Add in one tablespoon of margarine, pinch of fresh grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Blend away.
In a saucepan, heat two tablespoons of margarine on medium until bubbly melted. Whisk in your flour to make roux. Let that cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Slowly add in your milk about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking to prevent lumps. Add in your onion powder, salt and pepper and cream cheese.
To assemble lasagna, place a ladleful of your bechamel on the bottom of a small baking dish followed by the noodles. Layer in the squash/cheese mixture, more sauce, then noodles. Repeat until you run out of ingredients or room. Cover the top with more sauce and breadcrumbs (if you're panko is unseasoned, make sure you add in salt, pepper and whatever spices you have around, because they're pretty boring on their own). Top with remaining pads of margarine and stick in oven for about 20-30 minutes. Until you've achieved browning on top and your noodles have cooked.



Okay, admittedly, I took this out prematurely. Also, I currently have very few areas in my apartment past 3pm that have a decent amount of light. Okay! It is by no means pretty but it WAS tasty, especially the next day for lunch.
And it looked beautiful all over my husbands face.