Best Chayote Squash Guisquil Recipes

ROASTED CHAYOTES WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
• Wearing protective gloves, halve chayotes lengthwise and discard seeds. Peel, then cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges. Toss with oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Divide between 2 large 4-sided sheet pans.
• Roast 30 minutes. Divide garlic between pans, then continue to roast, turning occasionally, until chayotes are golden brown on edges, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt.

CHAYOTES RELLENO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook unpeeled squash in lightly salted water until crisp tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Scoop out most of flesh, leaving 1/4-inch thick shell. Season shell with salt and pepper. Coarsely chop chayote flesh. Set aside.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and salt and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until most of liquid evaporates. Add garlic, jalapeno and cumin and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and reserved chayote flesh. Stir until most of liquid evaporates. Stir in epazote, bread crumbs and almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into shells. Sprinkle with cheese. Arrange shells in large baking pan. Pour enough hot water around shells to reach 1/4-inch. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.

GREENS AND CHAYOTE ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Strip chard leaves from stems and wash in 2 changes of water. Rinse stems and cut in small dice if wide, or, if thin, slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Set aside stems with chayote in one bowl and leaves in another.
• Make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, jalapeños and onion in a medium saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until tomatillos have gone from pale green to olive and have softened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tomatillos, onion and one of the jalapeños to a blender. Do not drain water from pot. Let vegetables cool in blender while you blanch greens and chayote.
• Add more water to the pot so it is about 2/3 full. Return to a boil, salt generously, and add leaves. Blanch until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer leaves to a bowl of cold water to quickly shock, then drain and dry. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Return water to a simmer and add chayote and chard stems. Simmer 5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain through a colander and again on paper towels.
• Add whole garlic cloves and cilantro sprigs to ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Taste for heat and add remaining jalapeño if desired.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add tomatillo purée and partly cover to protect from splattering. Cook, stirring often, until it thickens and begins to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in stock, add salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring often, until sauce is thick and coats the front and back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat and add minced garlic. When fragrant, after about 30 seconds, stir in oregano, blanched leaves, stems and chayote. Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until tender, fragrant and coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup salsa verde and set aside.
• Prepare the tortillas: Heat 1/3 cup canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, until oil bubbles around the edges of a tortilla when you dip it into the pan. Place a platter covered with paper towels next to pan. Using tongs, slide tortillas, one at a time, into hot oil. As soon as tortilla begins to puff, about 10 to 15 seconds, flip over and leave another 10 to 15 seconds. Immediately remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Cover with foil to keep warm.
• One by one, quickly dip tortillas into the remaining warm salsa verde, lay on serving platter, and top with about 1/4 cup filling. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down on platter. When all tortillas have been filled, pour remaining salsa verde on top, sprinkle with cilantro and queso fresco and serve.

CHAYOTE SQUASH (GUISQUIL)**

Steps:

• 1. Cut chayote in half, remove seed; peel and cut into thin slices.
• 2. Melt butter and oil in skillet. Saute onions and garlic until soft. Stir in sliced chayote; sprinkle with black pepper. Saute, stirring, for 5 minutes. If desired, cut slices in half to shorten cooking time.
• 3. Add broth to cover, bring to a boil, and simmer gently, covered, until chayote is soft, 30-35 minutes. Remove lid, add red bell pepper, stir and cook a little longer until pepper and chayote are fork-tender.
• 4. Just before serving, top with chopped cilantro. Goes great as a side with chicken or beef.