If you are looking for warm meal ideas to carry in your Thermos this winter, here is a butternut squash rice recipe that won’t disappoint you. Vegetarian friendly and carbs-packed, it is an ideal meal if you are exercising, either at the gym or up on the trail, or for the office.
Perfect for the season, enjoy a warm butternut squash spicy rice on a cold day out or snuggling under the blanket at home. You can easily carry it in an insulated food flask to keep all its flavours and temperature. Spicy and packed with fast release carbs, here is the perfect recipe to give you a kick!
All You Need To Know About Rice
It is such a basic in food that I am pretty sure you never bothered researching about rice. So before you start cooking, here is everything you need to know about a rice-based meal.
Why a Rice Based Meal?
When you work out your body burns carbs. This is why it is important to load up on slow-released carbs days before a long hike or a marathon for example. However, when you have been walking for quite a long time, you start being tired. This is because your carbs reserves are running low and that is when fast released carbs come into play. This recipe is packed with fast-released carbs for you to eat during the hike to give your body the fuel it needs to keep going. Nobody likes “hitting the wall“.
Moreover, rice is cheap to buy and quick to cook, making it ideal as a base ingredient. Get some homemade food without breaking the bank and wasting too much time!
Finally, rice gives you a sensation of satiety, therefore you can keep on hiking without stopping here and there for a snack. And who knows, you might finish before your ETA.
What rice to choose for this recipe?
There are multiple varieties of rice from sushi rice to jasmine rice passing by arborio rice. For this recipe, we will look deeper into white and brown rice and what difference it makes.
White rice
The rice is white as its outer husk, the bran and the germ have been removed. The husk is high in fibre but hard for humans to digest. Moreover removing the rice hulk extend the self-life of the rice.
White rice is therefore easy to digest and contains fast-release carbs that your body needs when hiking. When you are walking your muscles turn the cabs into energy. However, you can only stock 2,000 calories worth of carbs in your body. In order for you not to “hit the wall“, you need to eat both slow and fast released carbs during the hike.
As white rice contains fast release carbs, it makes it the ideal choice for a hiking lunch.
Related Content: What to Eat when Hiking
Brown rice
White rice or brown rice? Let’s end the dilemma.
Brown rice is whole grain rice with the inedible rice husk removed but with bran and germ. Both barn and germ are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Unlike its white counterpart, brown rice contains slow-release carbs, so no energy spikes after lunch. The other issue with brown rice is the cooking time: 40 minutes on average as opposed to 15 minutes for white rice.
Unless you are pregnant (when brown rice is recommended), brown rice is less suitable for hiking or camping food. When you need energy fast or fast cooking when camping, prefer white rice. However, you can load up on carbs by eating brown rice during the few days leading up to the trip.
As you might have guessed, we are using white (long grain) rice for this recipe.
All you Need To Know About The Butternut Squash Rice Recipe
Before we dive into how to make the butternut squash rice, let’s have a closer look at the ingredients and how they can benefit you. And I also have some tips for you.
The ingredients
White rice: White rice is called the “empty” carb because it has been stripped of the bran and the germ which contains the nutrients. However, white rice is processed to improve taste, cooking properties and conservation. It is also enriched with vitamins to balance the lack of nutrients. Easy for the body to digest, it is also gluten-free.
Butternut Squash: Rich in fibre, potassium, vitamins and mineral, this winter fruit (yes, it is a fruit) help manage blood pressure and prevent heart disease. It is also said that eating butternut squash is good for morale.
White onion: Less commonly used than red onions, white onions should not be disregarded. Whether you enjoy them raw or cooked, they can add flavour to the dullest dishes. Packed with vitamin C and antioxidants which protect cells from damages, they also contain fibres that help facilitate digestion.
Garlic: Garlic helps lower blood pressure and fight inflammation. It is rich in vitamin B6 and C as well as minerals such as calcium and potassium.
My tips
Don’t like spicy food?
That’s ok not everyone does. In that case ignore the cumin, paprika and cayenne spices and swap them for thyme or Italian herbs. And for even more flavour, sprinkle some white wine vinegar on the rice before pouring the water.
Don’t like butternut squash?
That’s ok too. Unlike butternut squash or potatoes, not all vegetables (ok it is a fruit) cook well in water. In that case, cook the vegetable (or meat) of your choice aside and mix them with the rice at the end of the cooking process.
Don’t like white rice?
As we spoke about earlier in this article, the main two varieties of rice are white and brown rice. If you opt for brown rice, remember that the average cooking time is 40 minutes. However, the average cooking time of the butternut squash is 20 minutes. Therefore, you would need to follow the steps below and not add the butternut squash at the same time as the rice but 20 minutes later.
Water or broth?
That is entirely up to you. In this recipe, I use water to cook the butternut squash and the rice, but you are more than welcome to try it with a vegetable broth instead!
Conservation
If you cooked for an army but you are not ready to share, you can keep what you are not taking on the trails in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can eat it as your diner or take it to the office for lunch. Microwave it for 2 minutes (depends on the appliance) and it’s ready!
So now we went through all the details, let’s get to cooking!
The Butternut Squash Rice Recipe
Ready? Take you pan out and put your apron on, it’s cooking time!
Butternut Squash Rice Recipe
Equipment
- A big pan or a pot
- An insulated food flash for transport
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 White Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup White rice long-grain
- 2 cups Butternut squash diced
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne
Instructions
- Chopped the white onion in small pieces and mince the garlic
- Peel the butternut squash and cut it into cubes
- Put 2 tsp of coconut oil in a big pan or a pot and let it melt
- Add the onion and the garlic and stir until soft
- Add the butternut squash and the rice
- Add 1 tsp of cumin and paprika and 1/4 tsp of cayenne
- Stir to coat the butternut squash and the rice
- Add 2 cups of water
- Bring it to boil
- Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes
- Stir from time to time
- Add water if necessary throughout the cooking process
- It's ready!
Notes
- Swap white rice for brown rice and adjust the cooking time
- Swap butternut squash for any other vegetable to be cooked on the side
- Replace spices with thyme or Italian herbs and add white wine vinegar
- Place in an insulated food flask for transport
- Calories
Final Thoughts About The Butternut Squash Recipe
A warm meal with winter vegetables (or fruits) and a spice kick to it, this butternut squash rice recipe is perfect for your winter hikes. It is easy to cook, practicable to carry on a hike and you can eat it simply using the insulated food flask complementary spoon. No need to bring the kitchen draw with you!
Versatile and adjustable to your taste whether you like or dislike spicy food or butternut squash, this meal is cheap to make and can last up to 4 days.
And you, what is your favourite warm hiking lunch meal? Let me know in the comments below!
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