The thing about food is, you have to eat it.

I don't like to cook. But I just spent the weekend with Melly (and Dave and Emmy and Beesley), and Dave made this ridiculously yum-tastic thing and I wanted to eat more of it. So I had to cook. And now you can, too, in 10 easy steps. You're welcome.

(Here's where I give it a fancy recipe name)

Roasted Butternut Squash with White Bean Hummus-y Sauce Stuff

1. Imagine this without spinach

1. Peel and cube the butternut squash. Your hand and arm will be tired, but just curse a few times. It doesn't necessarily help cube the squash, but you'll feel better about the whole situation. Dump it into a bowl. Then add this stuff: olive oil, pepper, salt, paprika, and garlic (powder or minced). Stir it all around. Pour it onto a baking sheet. Roast (that means like 400 degrees for about 30 minutes).

2. Take a deep breath because if that's not tiring enough, you still have to make the hummus. But you really like the hummus so you'll make it. Plus, there's no chopping.

3. This is that in which
I made the hummus

3. Hummus = 1 can white beans, 1-2 gloves garlic (minced), olive oil, white wine vinegar, greek yogurt, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, and lemon juice. In a blender on puree. I just bought a regular thing of plain Chobani greek yogurt, like the type you'd bring to lunch or eat for breakfast. But the whole thing was really runny so I added a 2nd can of white beans. It was still runny. Don't judge. I already said I'm not a cook.

4. The hummus is made and now it's time to check the squarsh (that's how I say it in my head). Shove it around the pan - or don't, it really doesn't matter that much. If it's done, pull it out of the oven. If it's not, leave it in for a few more minutes. Done = soft-looking and a little brown on the edges.

5. When the squarsh is done, take it out of the oven. Be careful to lower the oven door all the way or you will feel the fire of one thousand dragons on the backs of your arms.

6. Break the stems off the spinach and put the spinach - not the stems - on top of the squash of the butterynuts. Then sprinkle on some walnuts that you've chopped or that someone at the walnut place chopped for you. Obviously I chose the latter.

7. Almost done!

7. Put that shizz back in the oven, this time on broil. Broil it for about 5 minutes or until the spinach is crispy. Broil = the broil setting (button or knob) and/or 500 degrees. Fahrenheit, not Celsius. This is the USA, after all.

8. Take the pan out - carefully this time - and shovel some onto a plate. Try to get as much as you could possibly eat.

10. Finally.

9. If your hummus has a nice medium viscosity like hummus should, good for you. If your hummus is a tad bit runny, welcome to the "new to making hummus" club. Either way, spoon that goodness over the spinach/squarsh/nuts stuff you just made.

10. Voila! Dinner, in 10 easy steps that took me over an hour.

And here's the recipe for you "I already know how to cook just give me the ingredients" people:

Butternut squash (peeled & cubed)
Olive oil
Garlic (powder or minced)
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
options: brown sugar, curry powder

Roast for approx. 30 minutes @ 400 degrees
Top with de-stemmed spinach and chopped walnuts (or pecans or almonds)
Broil for 5 minutes or until spinach is crisp

Hummus
1 can white (cannellini) beans
Greek yogurt
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Lemon juice
Sea salt
Pepper

Put in a blender; blend until smooth.