Speed squash - Right Stuff

Who doesn't love butternut squash? But who loves to peel, seed, chop, and cook it? That's why so many people just don't bother.

Even though they're missing out on the squash's sweet, moist richness, five grams of fiber in every half cup, and pay load of vitamins A and C, it's just too much trouble.

Make that was too much trouble. At Trader Joe's and a growing number of food stores, you can now buy Diced Butternut Squash that comes already peeled, cut, and ready to go ... into the oven, into a stir-fry, into a soup or risotto, into some cannelloni or manicotti.

To keep it simple, just slice open the bag, dump it into a pot of boiling water or a microwave-safe dish, and cook until tender. Then drain, mash, and season with maple syrup, cinnamon, and a touch of fat-free half and half if you want it creamy. What used to take an hour has turned into ten minutes, tops.

You pay more for diced than you would for whole, and the bags do take up room in your fridge (where they can stay for up to a week). But it's well worth the shelf space.

The same goes for bags of Trader Joe's Diced Harvest Medley (turnips, yams, and butternut squash) or other chains' cut-and-ready-to-cook vegetables. Most come with cooking instructions. It doesn't get much simpler.

Trader Joe's: (800) 746-7857.

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