Mini caramelized banana coconut cream acorn squash pies – 32 ways! {guest post}

Hello, readers!  I first want to thank you for your warm responses and encouraging words in response to my last post.  Your support means so much.

I’m excited to introduce a talented new blogger, Joanna, from Midwestern Bite.  She’s a fellow Midwesterner with a great story and an even better recipe.  A dessert with a vegetable as the star?  She’s a girl after my own heart!  Enjoy today’s post!

Hi all, I’m Joanna from Midwestern Bite!

If you’ve been following along with Maryea like I have, you’ve surely noticed she has taken a small step back to focus on her family, admitting she can’t do it all right now. As a new mother and a new blogger, I think of Maryea as Super Mom. I read along as she manages her growing family, their health, her health and her lovely blog. Turns out she is even more the Super Mom than I originally thought! Knowing what you and your family need, weeding out what can take a backseat, is pretty close to having a super power in my book.

With that being said, I feel fortunate to be here in the interim to entertain! The Husband and I have been blogging over at Midwestern Bite for just over a month now and relishing (a little food blogger humor for ya) every minute. I’m not an author, but I write. I’m not a chef, but I cook. Stick with me through a few paragraphs for a healthy, yet decadent dessert!

My “healthy living” journey started a few years back in a doctor’s office. Don’t panic, I wasn’t sick. We were new to town and needed a primary care physician. Just in case. The doctor I really wanted wasn’t accepting new patients, so we picked another doc in the same practice. Looking back, this was probably Strike One.

So The Husband and I trekked to the office for a checkup. Strike Two came quickly; it was for the doc’s bedside manner, or lack thereof. He actually had the gall to inform us that he didn’t handle runny noses, only the very sick. Last time I checked I was still in my late twenties and, well, NOT very sick. Not sick at all in fact, just looking for a doctor who knew my name. Just in case. Two minutes into my checkup and I was already on edge.

I am chatty by nature. He was not. He was serious and businesslike and made no small talk. Twenty minutes in he checked my pulse, listened to my heart and for the first time all visit began actually speaking to me rather than at me. He started talking about a rare heart condition as he listened to my heart for the second time. Maybe I was very sick. I felt my throat tighten.

He typed into the large laptop that hid his face. The minutes ticked by in silence. “Oh, you don’t have that by the way,” he finally said, nonchalantly. Strike Three. “Well you could have mentioned that earlier,” I retorted.

He took a quick glance at me and then retreated behind the monitor, his glasses perched on the end of his nose.

I looked to The Husband sitting in the corner for moral support, then asked the doctor what his medical views were. I was appalled at his response. He explained to me that he only believed in pharmacological solutions to health concerns. He believed that while lifestyle and dietary changes can influence health, people do not have the willpower to maintain those changes over time. Blood pressure, for example, he offered. Lowing salt intake, exercising regularly and choosing high potassium foods can certainly make a positive influence, he conceded, but are rarely permanent solutions and thus a daily pill is always preferred.

Strike Four.

Pretty sure it is three strikes and you’re out. Silly me, I must have allowed the doc up to bat for an extra swing.

My father has had a number of health scares and emergency surgeries over the years, so I am very comforted that modern medicine is there when we need it, because so often we do. The very idea, however, that we are all destined to eat high cholesterol cheeseburgers and salty fries in front of the TV every single night is horrifying, and in this girl’s opinion, completely inaccurate.

I left the office and went for a jog. I started reading labels for more than just fat and calorie content. What type of fat? How much cholesterol? How much sodium? Sugars? What are the ingredients and how many are there?

I did not turn to an all raw vegan diet (not that there’s anything wrong with that, as Jerry Seinfeld would say.) I did not start counting every calorie I ate. I did not stop having the occasional pizza at the local bar and grill. I did, however, stop eating frozen pizza made with “mechanically separated chicken” and a list of ingredients longer than the list of items our Labrador Retriever has destroyed in the past nine years. It’s amazing how when you lower your salt intake, salt seems so much saltier. Same with sugar. I used to be able to polish off an entire corner piece of birthday cake, with extra roses. I still have a sweet tooth, but nowadays I can’t stomach that much frosting.

So… sugar. Let’s go ahead and not talk about it, shall we, and just cook some dessert without it (or with very little of it). Let’s make Mini Caramelized Banana Coconut Cream Acorn Squash Pies, 32 different ways!

 

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Can we briefly run through these ingredients for a minute? They do require a little more preparation, but I think it is worth it in the end.

Acorn Squash. It doesn’t come in a can, at least not that I have ever seen, so you’ll have to make your own. My son just started solids so I conveniently have quite a bit on hand. It’s as easy as cutting your squash in half, scraping out the seeds (save them!), and cooking the halves face down in ¼ inch of water for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees. When they are cooked through and slightly cooled, scrape out the insides and puree in your food processor. I think you’ll find it naturally has a much sweeter flavor than other squash.

Coconut Cream. Refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk and spoon out the cream that has separated from the milk.

Caramelized Banana. Bananas are the key to this recipe and my go-to sugar substitute! When caramelized (sliced in half and sauteed in a light rubbing of coconut oil), they brown slightly, become very soft and taste just like candy!! By themselves these satisfy my sweet tooth.

Eggs. We buy local organic eggs. ‘Nuff said.

Coconut Sugar. Wikipedia tells you all about it here, but the edited version is it’s better for you than traditional sugar. It has a strong flavor, so a little goes a long way.

Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds. I try to use all parts of a vegetable so I roast them at 250 degrees with a little coconut oil and a pinch of coconut sugar and salt for 15 to 20 minutes.

I actually tried this recipe four ways. Two ramekins with no added sugar inside, two with. I topped one of each pair with a light sprinkle of coconut sugar. My favorite? No sugar inside, sprinkle on top. The Husband’s favorite? No sugar inside, no sprinkle on top. It’s all preference.

But don’t stop there. Banana chips, roasted acorn squash seeds and flake coconut make excellent toppings as well.

How many dessert possibilities does that make then? The Husband says 32. That’s 32 ways I can show that doctor he was wrong!