My First Kabocha Squash

BJ and I are people who eat dessert before our dinners. After coming home from a long day at the office, we reach for the freezer to see what's available. Lately, it's been ice cream cones - caramel for him, chocolate for me.

The ice cream cones are at least 290 calories each so it's a guilty pleasure that I try to eat in moderation. Meanwhile, I'm always on the hunt for a lighter dessert snack without sacrificing taste that I can eat more regularly. When the folks at Jello-O asked if I wanted to sample their new sugar-free Mousse Temptations at 60 calories a serving, of course I happily said yes.

The Mouse Temptations come in three yummy flavors, Caramel Crème, Dark Chocolate Decadence and Chocolate Indulgence. Cool - these are all our favorite flavs! We are currently having fun digging into the box of Caramel Crèmes as our pre-dinner snack.
I had initially tried the Jell-O mousse at BlogHer Food '09 and already knew how tasty they are. But to be honest, BJ was a bit skeptical at first since he wasn't expecting the consistency to be so light and airy. He said he prefers the creamy texture of pudding over the light and foamy mousse, but we both agreed that the flavor is surprisingly good and rich tasting for 60 calories. I think BJ will grow to like the mousse more once he tastes the chocolate ones, especially the gooey and rich tasting Dark Chocolate Decadence. It taste like fudge.
After snacking, it was time to get cracking. Literally. The kombucha Japanese kabocha squash was sitting on the counter for over 2 weeks staring me down, and I finally mustered the nerve to cook it. I bought it with good intentions of trying something new but then brought it home and realized that my knives were not sharp enough to carve through it. So it sat on the counter until this past weekend. I was right - my 7" Cuisinart santoku knife was no match for the kabocha. I also had to use a serrated sneak knife to start the initial sawing.
Not perfectly sliced but it will do for roasting in the oven. I quartered the squash into four sections and laid them face down onto a cookie sheet. Baked in the oven, along with some other veggies, for about 60 minutes at 350 degrees.
The kabocha came out soft to the touch. I was even able to pierce a knife easily through the skin.
A quarter of the squash and a medley of roasted veggies (eggplant, carrots, onions, yellow bell peppers, and two jalapeno peppers) went into the blender for a whizz. I then poured the squash and veggie puree, 1 can of veggie stock, and 1/2 cup of almond milk into a pot and heated to a boil. Seasoned with salt and pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO to taste.
The soup was thick and creamy and a had a good kick from the jalapeno peppers. Served with some baked kabocha. It taste like a yam but not as sweet. I still have a lot left over and will be enjoying the squash in a few more meals. Perhaps, I'll make kabocha curry next?

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