Chayota anyone???

The chayote squash goes by many names: christophene, vegetable pear, mirliton, choko, chow chow (my favorite) and many more. There are two different types of chayote, a prickly kind and a smooth kind, I used the smooth kind. The squash in a good source of fiber and is packed full of amino acids. The peek season for chayote is between November and April making it a good veggie to use in the winter. Chayote originated in  Mesoamerica and was a staple the the Aztec and Mayan diets, but now days chayote it is grown and eaten everywhere. It is a very versatile vegetable used in everything from appetizers to desserts. I found recipes for soups, salads, stuffed squash, and even some for apple/chayote pie! I decided to make a pasta dish with butter sauce topped with chayote and chicken.

Chayotes keep for about a month, just store them in a bag in the refrigerator. The chayote you use should be green (like an apple) and should have very few brown spots. You want it to be firm and dense , so when you pick it up it should be a little heavier then expected. The skin of the chayote can be eaten or you can peel it. A couple tips; you are suppose to peel the chayote if it was grown in a desert or sandy area and when peeling the squash it is a good idea to do so under water because the it leeks a sticky sap after being cut or peeled. I would equate the inside of the chayote to an apple. It had about the same texture and feel, but unlike the apple the chayote has a soft white pit in the center which is edible. It is suppose to have a nuttier flavor then the rest of the squash. For my recipe I took out the pit and minced it with some garlic and green onions; added a pinch of salt and sauteed all of that in butter before adding the chayote slices. After slicing the chayote I sprinkled it with Italian seasoning and added to the pan with the garlic and onions once the squash was tender I removed them from the pan ( I used a fork to leave as much juice and seasoning in the pan as possible) and sprinkled them with Parmesan and set them in the oven while I made the sauce for the noodles. For the sauce I added butter and some grape juice to the pan the squash was cooking in and let that reduce and then tossed my noodles in it. While all this was going on I also had a peppered chicken breast cooking in the George Foreman.
Chayote was a very good veggie and I can't wait to use it again! Next time I think I want to try a dessert with it but that's all the chayote for this week and next week it's a different food. If there is any suggestions as to what I should try let me know, but for now go get a chayote and try it out for yourself!