Free Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero Page A

can. You can roast squash whole, in its skin, and serve it in large luscious pieces, or cut it into small caramelized pieces, so we will give you directions for both ways.
     
    For big pieces of whole roasted squash
    Oven temperature: 400°F
    Prep: Remove the stem. Split the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and use a spoon to scrape out any stringy bits. Place cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet.
    Roast: 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size. The outside peel of the squash should be easily pierced with a fork when it’s done cooking. Slice into more manageable (but still large) pieces to serve. Leave the skins on for a more dramatic presentation; if the skin is not edible, just peel it off while eating.
     
    For smaller, caramelized pieces
    Oven temperature: 400°F
    Prep: Remove stem. Peel off skin. Split squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and use a spoon to crape out stringy bits. Cut into ¾ inch pieces. Drizzle and coat with olive oil and salt. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
    Roast: 25 to 30 minutes, turning twice during cooking. Squash should be tender, browned, and lightly caramelized on the edges.
     
    For both methods
    Complements: Rosemary, sage, thyme, or sweet spices such as cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
    Fancy it up: Before cooking, add a light coating of maple syrup. Sprinkle with crushed coriander seeds and minced ginger.
     
 
    IF you’re (God forbid) tired of mashed potatoes or just in need of a sweet change, use our whole-roasting method for winter squash and make mashed squash instead. Just remove the skin, and mash or puree with a little maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon.
 
     
    Zucchini or Summer Squash
    “ Oy gevalt! I’ve got ferkakte zucchini up to mayn kepele !” How many times have you uttered these words, amazed at your newfound grasp of Yiddish? Roasting to the rescue, once again. Get ready for succulent summer squash that will rock your tuchus .
    Oven temperature: 425°F
    Prep: Remove the stem. Cut widthwise into ½-inch pieces, try to slice at a diagonal for a nice presentation. Drizzle and coat with olive oil, salt, and fresh black pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. If you like, add minced garlic 5 minutes before the zucchini is done.
    Roast: 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.
    Complements: Dill, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or parsley. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon once done cooking.
     

SIMPLE STEAMING
     
    Steaming should be thought of as boiling for the new century. No longer will we tolerate flaccid, drab-green vegetables when they should be crisp, flavorful, and their truer shades of brilliant greens. Steaming is also really easy; you can easily steam any vegetable without fancy equipment. A large soup pot with a lid is the all the bare-bones gear you need. If you do have a steamer basket, though, then great! (There are recipes in this book where it will come in handy.) There is definitely no need to clutter up the kitchen counter with special plug-in electric steamers or other food-steaming contraptions.
    We’re not too crazy about dried herbs on steamed veggies, but adding fresh herbs about 3 minutes before the veggies are done steaming is never a bad idea. Try parsley, dill, thyme, oregano, or tarragon on any of these veggies. You can also drizzle them with any of our sauces in the sauce chapter (pages 203-216).
 
    Shocking!
     
    IT might not be apparent, but even after you’ve turned off the heat, vegetables will continue to cook. The steam that’s working its way out of the vegetables will still continue the cooking process, and if you’re not careful it might turn those perfectly steamed asparagus spears to mush. If you’re not planning on serving vegetables immediately, or plan on serving them cold or at room temperature, quickly run them under cold water for about a minute. This is called “shocking” the vegetable, which sounds pretty cool. Transfer to a colander and allow to