So spring has sprung this week, although we are in the middle of ANOTHER Nor’easter here in the Delaware Valley LOL! Hey, I am not complaining, I am the one in a million who actually prefers the winter and fall months over the spring and summer months – I love me some pumpkin-spiced anything, and I am a holiday fanatic! Anyways, in terms of cooking and food, another reason to add to my love of the colder months is the abundance of harvest/root veggies – butternut squash, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, parsnips, turnips and acorn squash, to name a few popular ones!

If you are anything like me and you tend to buy these items in bulk (while the cost of them is down when they are in season)…fast forward to this time of year, and you have a veggie-basket full of winter veggies that need to be used up ASAP – before they spoil or your appetite for them dissipates. One thing I hate more than anything is WASTING FOOD, so I am always freezing and finding new ways to use up bits and pieces of extra ingredients that I often have on hand after a long week of cooking. Below I have compiled three super-quick and easy ways to use up, or preserve for later use, my fav wintertime produce:

#1: Sweet Potatoes

The quickest things to do is to boil your sweet spuds, and once they have cooled mashed them or toss the flesh into the food processor for a smooth puree – and freeze for later use! Sweet potato puree is great to add to smoothies, or as a fat substitute in baking, namely in recipes that are supposed to have a “fudgy” consistency, like brownies! Do a quick google search and tons of recipes for sweet potato brownies will pop up!

#2: Spaghetti Squash

Oven-bake your spaghetti squash until fork tender and shreds easily with a fork; once cooled, I like to package my abundance of carb-conscious “spaghetti” into zipper lock bags and freeze for the next time I want a bowl of pasta. I also like to bake with spaghetti squash, the same way I described above with sweet potatoes – as a fat sub in recipes.

#3: Butternut Squash

Peel and roast your butternut squash (Chef’s Tip: I find that poking a few holes in the skin with an ice pick, and then heating the squash in the microwave for 5 to 8 minutes will soften the skin enough to make it easy to cut or peel). Puree the cooked squash and save/freeze it to add into soups, or to use as a “hidden” veggie in meatloaf or meatballs for kids/picky eaters who do not get enough veggies.

OK, I think you get the hang of it here – cook them, freeze them and enjoy them combined with another food to get a burst of flavor, nutrients and veggie goodness while masking what might be a less than perfect texture.

What do you do when you have more veggies than you can use? Let me know in the comments!