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Everybody eats,
but does everybody eat to live to be 100?
If you want to blow out 100 birthday candles
the ever versatile squash
will give you the protection you need to get there.
Look at those babies.
JASON: It will be a zany search
through the squash and pumpkin patch to find recipes
that will make living to 100 easy and delicious.
That's the sound of gooey goodness right there.
I'll be getting guidance from my spiritual food guru,
Roshi Joe who is the wisest man on earth.
And my best friend and lovely muse Sunny
who inspires my recipes, in this sitcom I call my life.
I am Jason Wrobel, chef to the stars
with radically fun food ideas and recipes
that are going to help you learn how to live to be 100.
Roshi Joe is teaching me everything I need to know
when it comes to leading a healthy long life.
Not to mention how to train
for the Tour de France in the process.
Come on.
Um, Roshi Joe?
Sshh.
The match has just begun and Fischer's already nervous.
Fischer, Bobby Fischer? But he's dead.
And still a formidable adversary.
You play chess with Bobby Fischer?
Oh, that's nothing.
Last week I sunk Napoleon's battleship.
Cool.
Just don't play pictionary with Jackson ***.
It's all drips and blotches with that one.
Noted.
Sensei, what can you tell me about protection?
Grasshopper, didn't your father already have that talk with you?
No, I mean like protection for yourselves,
your vision and your immune system
since I want to learn secrets of how to live to 100.
And what do you think provides
that kind of superior protection?
The secret service?
Squash.
Of course.
Many kinds of squash including pumpkins
have powerful protective benefits.
Let me show you.
These pawns, these bishops and these rooks,
all serve one purpose, to protect the king.
I want you to learn
how squash can do the same thing for your body.
I'll do it, Roshi.
I'd like you to meet the Cucurbitaceae family.
Oh, man, that is one sweet scrabble word.
The entire squash family is packed with antioxidants.
And what do those do?
Well, they protect our cells from free radicals.
You know, those unstable little molecules that can cause cancer.
Now the squash may not be able to
leap tall buildings in a single bound
but it's definitely a superhero
when it comes to protecting yourselves.
With its arsenal of antioxidants
this brave super food hero is there to protect us.
Back in the day I used to hear healthy mac 'n' cheese.
It can't be done.
But then butternut came along to prove them wrong.
Today we're gonna make butternut squash mac 'n' cheese
that's healthy, cheesy, rich and creamy.
Wait, that sounds like an awesome song.
Healthy, cheesy, rich and creamy.
Come on, healthy, cheesy, rich and creamy, fa-sheezy.
The first step is to go down the butternut squash like this.
And just peel it in long strips.
Once your butternut squash is pealed,
you want to slice it lengthwise down the middle.
You know what helps,
actually cutting off the stem in the front and the back.
Okay.
The cool thing about butternut squash is
it has less seeds than other squash.
So this part of deseeding is very easy.
Flip them down on the cut side.
And we're gonna cube these babies.
It's time to drizzle my nizzle.
Take a little bit of coconut oil
and make sure they are all nicely coated.
Roast these in 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
Healthy mac 'n' cheese, oh, baby, it's a breeze.
Now we're ready to make our cheese sauce.
Look at all these amazing ingredients.
It's like I'm running a cheese chemistry experiment.
To a sauce pan, add some extra *** coconut oil.
Put it over a medium to low flame.
Once our coconut oil is melted,
we're gonna add some fresh minced garlic
and some dried oregano.
Now we're gonna add some coconut milk.
Whoo!
And that's where the action happens.
You got to have a nice thick texture to your cheese sauce.
So in this case we're adding some arrowroot powder.
So here's where the cheese comes in.
We're gonna be adding some nutritional yeast to the mix.
Next, for a little bit of tanginess,
some Dijon mustard, some fresh lemon juice,
white truffle salt
and fresh ground black pepper.
Now keep that forearm working.
You can't let up on this one.
It's so yellow and decadent and creamy,
it's just like a regular cheese sauce
but way healthier for you.
Oh, awesome.
Now it's time to puree our butternut squash
and add it to our cheese sauce.
We're gonna add some coconut milk gradually
to get a nice creamy consistency in our puree.
Whoo!
Oh, yeah.
Bring the sauce back up to heat
and give it a nice vigorous whisk.
Back in the day when people thought
the moon was made out of cheese,
this must have been inside it,
'cause this sauce is cosmic.
It's gonna go awesome on top of our noodles.
Add these to your glass baking dish.
And now it's time to drown them in our cheese sauce.
Oh, look at that.
It's like a cavalcade of cascading cheese
overthrowing our pasta marauders.
This totally makes up for all of those after school meals,
making all that microwave mac 'n' cheese.
This atones for all of those sins.
That's the sound of gooey goodness right there.
It's kind of like, oh, eat me.
Oh, please, I can't wait to be in your belly.
Now we're gonna add some chopped collard greens.
I figured two traditional soul food recipes in one
would take this mac 'n' cheese over the top.
To add a little bit of smokiness,
I like some paprika in the mix.
The snap and crunch of these pecans
goes great with the creaminess of the cheese.
Now we're gonna bake our butternut squash mac 'n' cheese
at 350 degrees for 20 minutes,
although I don't know
if I can wait that long for this goodness.
Oh, yeah.
As you can see this makes
quite the heaping portion for your family.
I'm gonna top it with a little bit of white truffle salt.
And now it's time to take it to the face.
Mmm.
This is the ultimate healthy comfort food.
The rich deliciousness
of the butternut squash cheese sauce,
the collard greens add a nice texture.
This butternut squash mac 'n' cheese
is cheesier than the new kids on the block
and Backstreet Boys reunion concert.
Wait, you said that happened at--
This Pattypan squash not only looks like a flying saucer...
I'm thinking an alien flew by and kind of dropped these off,
an alien baker.
It will boost your immunity into the stratosphere.
So we're all resting a little easier
knowing squash is protecting ourselves, right?
But do you think squash is just gonna stop there?
Not this multitasking super food.
It also works to protect our immune system.
All squash is full of carotenoids.
Carotenoids are found in brightly colored fruits
and vegetables, especially--
yup, you guessed it,
squash helps squash diseases.
Basically when the squash family shows up
diseases sees red and orange and yellow.
This is a spaghetti squash.
And I'm gonna be making noodles out of this today.
That's right, we're doing a spaghetti squash primavera.
Now you want to grab a really big kitchen knife.
It's a good thing I grew up in Detroit
so I know how to use one of these.
So cut it lengthwise down the middle.
Oh, yeah.
Grab a handy kitchen spoon and pop out all those seeds.
There's no hiding from your doom.
Drizzle it with some extra *** olive oil
and a little bit of sea salt.
Roast it at 350 degrees and after 35 to 40 minutes,
stick a fork in it to make sure it's nice and tender.
It's time to make our primavera.
We're gonna start by adding
one tablespoon of olive oil to a sauce pan
and we're gonna crush some garlic cloves.
Now you could mince this old school style
and get stinky garlic fingers.
But I like to use a garlic press,
one of my favorite tools in the kitchen.
Cook your broccoli florets for a few minutes
until they are a little tender.
Next, add some sliced oyster mushrooms
to dd a great meaty texture to our primavera.
Fresh minced rosemary
and some fresh minced thyme.
Some crushed red pepper flakes.
Halved cherry tomatoes.
The last ingredient is some minced green olives.
The green olives are gonna add a great salt balance
and extra protein to our recipe.
Now that our spaghetti squash is nicely roasted,
it's time to make our noodles.
Take one half of the spaghetti squash
and we're gonna take a fork
and scrape our noodles into the mixing bowl.
Oh, yeah.
Look at those babies.
We got nature's noodles going on here, y'all.
Now this is my kind of pasta party.
Give it a nice mix here in the bowl.
Garnish this with some raw pine nuts
and some fresh pea tendrils.
I love the look and the taste of these little babies.
Okay, here we go.
Mmm.
Oh, yeah.
The spaghetti squash noodles soak up
all the flavor of those primavera vegetables so nicely.
This is an awesome pasta dish like you've never tried before.
So delicious and healthy.
It's like a rocket booster for your immune system.
Forget the olive garden.
Come on down to the squash garden.
I'll make you unlimited breadsticks.
There's only one thing this entree is missing,
an awesome dessert.
I know I'll find some sweet inspiration
at my best friend Sunny's cafe.
Her recipes complete me.
I need my meals.
Hey.
Here's the cookbook you loaned me.
What do you think?
You know, it wasn't at all
what I thought it was gonna be about.
I mean, 50 shades of gravy,
I was kind of expecting there will be more--
Yeah, they need to rethink the title.
Oh, what's with all the squash?
My latest culinary quest.
You know, most people think
squash is just there in the cornucopia
at the dinner table at Thanksgiving,
but it actually puts the super in super food.
You know, I already know. I was--
And listen, yesterday I made this spaghetti squash primavera
and I need a killer dessert recipe to go with it.
Uh-huh.
Most people don't know how good these are for them.
I mean not just pumpkin but there is spaghetti squash,
acorn squash, kabocha,
the little pattypans, you know, the little--
Mmm.
What is this?
Pumpkin gelato.
I used canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice,
coconut milk and a little bit of coconut palm sugar.
I made it all in an ice cream maker and bam.
We make quite the team, huh, you know with the squash.
I'm heading over to see the amazing Justin Jordan,
sous chef at Ecco.
This guy's kitchen skills will blow you away.
So, Justin, I hear you guys have a rooftop garden.
Yes, sir.
What kind of stuff are you growing up there?
We have a couple of different varieties.
Heirloom tomatoes, some carrots.
We got some pattypan squash which we're using today.
I got to know about these pattypans.
They look kind of like flying saucer cupcakes.
That they do.
You say rooftop garden
but I'm thinking an alien flew by
and kind of dropped these off, an alien baker.
So what recipe are we gonna be rocking here today?
We're gonna make a raw squash salad.
All right, so let's jump in.
Okay.
And start with our capers.
There is not a not a salt in this recipe.
The capers add that natural salinity.
Now did you roast off this garlic?
Yes, sir.
Very slowly in some olive oil.
Okay, so we're throwing some heat up in the mix.
Just a little bit of Calabriase chilies.
Calabriase.
Yes.
It even sounds spicier, Calabriase.
I'm using a Sicilian dried oregano.
It's like the best oregano you've ever had.
You know what, it smells like Sophia from The Golden Girls.
That's how Sicilian it is.
Now, Jason, we're going to stir in
the red wine vinegar and olive oil.
Beautiful.
And we're gonna warm it up just slightly.
It's time to unleash
the kitchen ninja part of this recipe, isn't it?
We're gonna start with our summer squash here.
Just nice and thin.
So the thinner you slice it
I would assume it's gonna really soak up that marinade up.
Exactly.
Pattypan squash. These are so adorable.
And this guy I'm gonna cut right in half.
Beautiful inside.
After this we're gonna get into our cucumber here.
A Japanese style of cucumber.
Which Muppet am I?
Oh, what's his name?
Gonzo. Thank you.
We're gonna get our marinade nice and warmed.
It smells so aromatic.
It's just like popping out of that bowl.
Now, these rooftop carrots,
they are lonely like Johnny without Chachi.
So what are we gonna do with these guys?
We're going to grate those on top of this salad.
Keeping it raw.
And then something special,
I'm gonna use a little bit of the carrot tops.
Carrot tops.
Just a little bit of that will give just extra punch.
So just to finish a couple more little fried capers on top.
So how am I gonna get everything on one forkful, man?
You might need a bigger fork.
Mmm.
This is amazing.
It's so fresh. Super light too.
All those immune boosting properties
are still gonna be in there.
This right here, happy mouth.
Happy mouth.
Happy feet too or just happy mouth?
Okay.
But you got to play me a beat
if we're gonna down with that too.
You got beats from the streets and squash I want to eats.
We're gonna combine healthy eating
with a DIY craft project.
Can it get any more fun
than piping a squash blossom with cheese?
I think not.
Give me an A.
Oh, that is so cool.
Squash is packed with vitamin A
which helps promote good vision in low light
and protects against age related vision loss.
So if you want to protect those peepers,
look no further than squash.
You see what I mean?
For a few short weeks every year
there's an ingredient so awesome from the squash family,
you simply have to get it.
I'm talking about squash blossoms.
I'm gonna stuff these with a pine nut ricotta cheese
and serve them with a red pepper kuli.
Ooh-wee!
The first step is to make our red pepper kuli
which is just a fancy French word for sauce.
To your blender you want to add some diced red bell pepper
and a few cloves of fresh minced garlic.
Let's blend for about 30 seconds until it's nice and smooth.
Add some fresh lemon juice,
extra *** olive oil,
a little bit of agave nectar,
fresh minced oregano and our harissa.
If you've never heard of harissa before,
it's a Moroccan blend of herbs and spices
that is gonna add a nice, earthy, smoky flavor
to our red pepper kuli.
Let's blend our kuli again for about 30 seconds
to get it ultra smooth and creamy.
Beautiful you are, Mr. Kuli.
The perfect complement to our squash blossoms
is this pine nut ricotta cheese.
And for those of you who have dairy allergies,
I'm gonna show you how easy and simple it is
to make your own cheese at home.
We start by adding some soaked pine nuts to our blender mug.
And these pine nuts are gonna give us
a really dense creamy consistency
to our ricotta cheese.
Next, we're gonna add some extra *** olive oil,
some fresh squeezed lemon juice,
minced shallot, a pinch of sea salt,
dry tarragon and then our nutritional yeast
which is gonna give us that authentic cheese flavor.
Now for a little bit of extra tang
I'm gonna put some fresh lemon zest in the mix.
Now we're gonna add a pinch of garlic granules
and a little fresh ground black pepper.
We're 30 seconds away from cheesy ricotta magic.
Oh.
Voila.
That is the perfect ricotta cheese consistency
for our squash blossoms.
I'm gonna turn this plastic bag into a piping kit.
All you need to do is take a one gallon zip top bag
and then you can pour your ricotta cheese right inside.
Most people prepare their
stuffed squash blossoms by frying them.
But today I'm gonna prepare them raw
to preserve all the awesome super food nutrition.
Cut them lengthwise on one side of the squash blossom like so.
And what that allows you to do
is split it open and fill it with your cheese.
Seal your piping bag first.
Cut the very corner of the bag.
Put the tip of the piping bag right inside the blossom
to make sure that the ricotta cheese has
a nice even distribution on the inside.
And go really, really slowly at this point.
They are very fragile.
Perfecto.
This is really the fun part of being a chef.
I mean seriously, look at this.
Can it get anymore fun
than piping a squash blossom with cheese?
I think not.
It's time to top them with our red pepper kuli,
a little bit of diced black olives
and then for a little extra protein and a nutty flavor,
I like to sprinkle some hemp seeds on top.
Would it be okay if I eat this edible art?
They kind of like little Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .
I mean there is Donatello and Raphael,
Leonardo, Michelangelo.
Okay, Raphael.
Mmm. Wow.
It's light, it's floral, it's crunchy.
So fresh, it's completely raw and bursting with nutrients.
You heard of Strawberry Shortcake, right?
Well, this is her best friend, squash blossom.
All the squash has really revved up my retinas.
Now let's see if I can help Roshi
win this legendary chess match.
Tried it, no.
As families go,
the squash family is a great one to have around.
They protect you like only family can.
Squash protects your cells, boosts your immune system
and enhances your vision.
You would have to be out of your gourd
to say no to a food as delicious and healthy as squash.
Hey, Roshi, how's the chess match going?
Neither of us has a move.
Oh, well, just take your rook and move--
No.
Tried it, no.
Well, if I can't protect your king,
at least I can help protect your immune system.
Try some stuffed squash blossoms, Roshi Joe.
Mmm, smells wondrous.
So now your knowledge of squash is complete.
When it comes to protecting you,
squash and pumpkins have all the right moves
to keep you living to 100.
Grasshopper, I'm proud of you.
As Nietzsche once said--
Hey, Roshi.
Was it Nietzsche or was it Snoop Dogg?
Um, Roshi.
Well, anyway one of them said.
Roshi, you won.
Say what?
Look.
Grasshopper, you eagle eyed Sherpa,
how did you spot that?
I'm guessing all that squash just polished my gourd goggles.
Well played.
Well played indeed.