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What Are the Best Tips for Making Opo Squash?
Opo squash is a long green vegetable that many people think tastes similar to a zucchini. Its skin is edible, as are the vegetable's seeds and stems. This squash can be served as a side dish and is a very popular ingredient in a number of Asian recipes. Popular cooking methods for this type of squash include grilling, roasting, baking, stir-frying, and stewing. The squash can be seasoned with a variety of items, and generally absorbs the flavors of other ingredients when it is used in a soup, stew, or casserole.
When making opo squash, the skin can be left on or peeled off, depending on personal preference. The squash can be cut into slices, sticks, or chunks before being cooked. The seeds inside the squash are edible, but they can be removed if desired. A ripe opo is typically light green in color and can be purchased year-round in most places.
Roasting is an easy method for preparing opo squash. To do this, it should be cut into pieces and then brushed with olive or vegetable oil. Salt and pepper are typically used to season the squash, but other herbs and seasonings, such as garlic or oregano, can be used for extra flavor. The squash should be placed on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan, and cooked until tender. An interesting, similar way to make this type of squash is to cut it into thin sticks and bake them until crisp. These can then be eaten much like French fries, often with a dipping sauce.
Grilling opo squash generally results in a flavorful vegetable that has a smoky flavor. The vegetable can be skewered before grilling or cut into slices that are large enough not to fall through the grill grates. Cooking oil should be applied to the squash to prevent it from sticking. When properly cooked, the squash should be warmed through and slightly tender, while still having some crispness.
Opo squash is a very popular ingredient in many Asian dishes. These recipes may call for raw squash to be added to stews or casseroles, so it can cook in a sauce with other ingredients. Since Asian dishes tend to use many flavorful ingredients, the squash usually absorbs the other flavors. Opo squash may also be added to several different Asian soups. Another relatively quick way to prepare this type of squash is to stir-fry it with other vegetables in a wok.
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![Opo squash is a popular ingredient in Asian recipes.]()
By: jiggoOpo squash is a popular ingredient in Asian recipes. -
![Opo squash can be placed in a roasting pan and roasted in the oven.]()
By: Popova OlgaOpo squash can be placed in a roasting pan and roasted in the oven.
Discussion Comments
@croydon - You have to pick your variety carefully if you want to both eat them and to use them for crafts. Often they are bred to be useful for one or the other, but rarely both.
And, if you're going to grow them for the gourds, you also have to be aware that they are going to take up a fair bit of space in the garden. I don't want to discourage people, but most of the time space in the garden is at a premium and if something isn't producing food, or getting to that point, I don't tend to want to keep it around.
It's just a few things to keep in mind although I'm sure squash growers can use techniques to maximize their garden space.
If you're interested in growing your own vegetables, then opo squash can be a good choice, because there are a lot of interesting varieties, and because you can also have fun with the older gourds if you leave them on the vine.
They are the squash type that often gets dried out and used as various different items, like calabashes, or musical instruments, or even just as a nice looking fall decoration.
Opo squash has good nutrition as well, with calcium and vitamin C, but mostly I like them as materials for traditional crafts.
It's not particularly healthy, but another really nice way of having opo squash is to coat them in tempura batter and fry them up that way.
I had that for the first time in a Japanese restaurant and I've been making it at home ever since. It's a good way to prepare vegetables if you've got fussy eaters.
But you don't want to rely on it completely, because it adds a lot of fat into the diet. I just have it as an occasional treat.
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