Butternut Mash with Lassi and Lime

I must be having a getting-it-right-the-second-time rut or something, but I just made another flop this morning. In honor of presenting our projects in interpersonal conflict resolution class this afternoon, I decided to make mini-muffins. And even after trashing them, I still believe the taste and concept was awesome.

The texture? Not so much.

In my previous muffin post, I mentioned how I thought the fat ratio was rather high, resulting in a greasy crumb I wasn’t too keen on. So instead of using avocado at that ratio, I used half that amount with coconut oil. And maybe it was just the pan I used, because this has happened before: the bottoms are still underdone after fifty minutes, and the tops for this certain recipe were crust-like.

I was so not feeding my class this recipe as is. But I did like how I wanted it to be: three different flavors for the same batter (separated into equal thirds), layered in one muffin or one flavor in each. I had banana, petite pea, and blueberry. The colors were gorgeous, and using the blender was a cool trick, but I’m going to use the full fat ratio next time and see what happens.

Yet this post wasn’t specifically to mention my flop, only in passing. I want to talk to you about my stroke of creativity that happened after.

I love butternut squash. I love it in soups, as a puree, baked, and so on. Trader Joe’s has it in 20 oz containers, peeled and pre-cut for your convenience. And I typically turn it into a soup of some sort, put into the blender and pureed until smooth. But I remembered what the boyfriend told me after I made this for brunch one day. He said he liked how it tasted, but he wasn’t too fond of the texture.

There’s that word again. Texture.

So I decided to try something different for lunch today. Last night I mad a chicken and rice curry bowl with lassi and lime. Lassi, the pro-biotic yogurt drink of India, was featured at my local Trader Joe’s and I wanted to give the plain version a try. And after my first gulp of the stuff, I knew I was hooked. I then started looking for ways to cook with it, both in sweet and savory meals. The lime and spices really put it all together, and that’s when inspiration struck for this dish.

Sometimes people find themselves in breakfast ruts and don’t want hot cereal in the mornings but something different and just as comforting. I truly believe that this will change how you perceive future breakfasts (or, in my case, lunches). Plus, this is filled with probiotic goodness along with a whopping portion of Vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. It can serve one a very filling meal, but is just as good to share with a friend (or a love).

Butternut Mash with Lassi and Lime

20 oz Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 tsp. Coconut oil
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1/3 c. Plain lassi
1/4 Lime

In a steamer pot, place the butternut squash on high heat until soft.
In a bowl, combine the butternut squash, coconut oil, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mash until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed but there are a few lumps.
Let the mash cool for a few minutes (you can also put it in the fridge if you want it colder).
Once at the desired temperature, pour the lassi around the butternut squash mash, and squeeze the juice from the lime wedge on top.
Garnish with cinnamon and the lime wedge.

Serves 1 a very filling lunch or 2 a light starter meal.