By Chef Jeremy McLachlan

Does squash make you think of overcooked mushy grossness? It shouldn’t! Here’s how to make it the best vegetable in your kitchen from fall through winter. Squash are the amazing nutritious vegetables that are built to be stored through winter. As Salty's co-owner and food-blogger Kathy Kingen says, squash nutrition is unquestionably excellent.

My favorite squash bar none is butternut, with spaghetti squash following as a close second. Here are two of my simplest squash recipes that highlight its sweet and delicate flavors.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Keep the skin on for this simple roasting technique. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a spaghetti squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the squash on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan with the skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, black pepper and a sprinkling of brown sugar. Cook until a fork easily pierces the skin (about 30 minutes). Allow to cool slightly then pull meat out with a fork (it resembles long strands of spaghetti). Enjoy as a side dish or use it as a substitute for pasta!

Butter-Me-Up Squash Soup

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chunked
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup cream
1/4 stick (or tab) of butter
salt to taste
sour cream, for topper
2 cups Apple Salsa (recipe follows)

Directions

Heat the onion and the chicken stock in a saucepan on medium high heat for 10 minutes.
Add the squash, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat or until the squash is cooked.
Blend with a hand blender. If you do not have a hand blender then you can use a regular blender but set the soup aside for 30 minutes so it will cool down enough to blend without burning yourself.
Add cream and bring to a simmer.
Season with salt and finish with a tab of butter to add some richness.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and apple salsa sprinkled over it.
Apple Salsa

Ingredients

2 Honeycrisp apples, diced small
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

Combine ingredients in a bowl and toss.

(Author of Kitchen Talk, Jeremy McLachlan is also Corporate Chef for Salty's Seafood Grill restaurant group. He says: My love is to create great dishes with fresh seafood, as we are a seafood restaurant, but not forget the meat lovers. My goal is to match exceptional food with our incredible views. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to have an abundance of regional treasures. The use of these fresh ingredients is key to Salty's Northwest cuisine. If you have any questions about cooking, feel free to email me at chef@saltys.com.)