ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Pumpkin. Squash. Yams. TV series on Netflix. All of these words scream orange. Hopefully, the first three words also made you think of vegetables. What’s the big deal with orange vegetables anyways? Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are loaded with important nutrients. For example they contain vitamin A (important for eye health), vitamin C (known to boost immunity and promote collagen formation), and potassium (involved in adequate functioning of the cells, tissues and organs such as the heart). It’s important to eat at least one orange and one dark green vegetable daily to help you meet your folate and vitamin A requirements. With lettuce, kale and collards being an exception, one vegetable serving is equal to half a cup of fresh, frozen or canned vegetables. Orange you glad we discussed vegetable servings? Not sure how many vegetable servings you need and/or if you are meeting your vegetable intake? Connect with me. Let’s talk vegetables.

-keeping.up.with.the.dietitian

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Makes 5 servings (approximately 6 pieces per serving)

Ingredients

1c butternut squash, cooked and mashed

1 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1/2c mascarpone cheese

1 egg yolk

1/3c parmesan cheese, shredded

1 package (approximately 12oz or 30sheets) wonton wrappers

3 tablespoons soft margarine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/8c slivered almonds (optional)

1/8c parmesan cheese, shredded

Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 400F and line baking sheet with foil paper. Cut butternut squash longitudinally and remove seeds. Using the olive oil, lightly brush the inside of the squash and place squash cut side down. Bake in the preheated oven until tender (approximately 45-50minutes). Once baked, carefully remove the skin with the fork, mash the squash, and measure out 1c.

Place the 1c mashed squash into a large bowl and add cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Mix well. To the mixture, add mascarpone cheese, egg yolk and 1/3c parmesan cheese. Mix until consistency is smooth.

Place wonton wrapper on a clean surface. Wet the tip of your finger with water and moisten the outer edge of the wrapper. Place about 2tsp of the squash mixture in the centre of the wonton. Fold the wonton in half and press the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers.

Bring salted water to a boil in saucepan. Drop 4 filled wontons into the saucepan and allow them to cook for approximately 2minutes. Remove cooked wonton (i.e. ravioli) and set aside. Repeat with remaining filled wontons.

Place a skillet over low-medium heat and add 1 tbsp margarine and 1 tsp minced garlic. Place 1/3 of the cooked raviolis into the skillet and cook until infused with garlic (approximately 1-2 minutes). Set cooked ravioli aside and repeat with the remaining raviolis. Sprinkle with slivered almonds, 1/8c parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve with a green salad and enjoy!

Nutritional facts (per serving – approximately 6 pieces):

Energy: 410kcal Protein:13g Fat:20g Carbohydrate:44g Fibre:3g