Stuffed Acorn Squash
Thanksgiving is a day to come together with family and friends and celebrate the way that love transcends time or distance. Holiday food is usually rife with meaning and tradition, but we increasingly have family members with specific preferences or needs and stay away from traditional holiday fare. Does that mean we love them less? No. Does it mean we can't make room for them at the table? No. Does it mean we should look at new dishes that allow us all to come together and celebrate, with or without a piece of turkey on the plate? Yes, it sure does.
We chose to stuff acorn squash here to showcase its versatility in the kitchen and its edible potential. For starters, it’s a self-contained serving bowl. That's kind of neat. It's got to roast for about 45 minutes on its own before the stuffing goes in, so rub it all over with olive oil and put it in the oven, so it can get deliciously soft and sweet.
Our stuffed acorn squash was given the hearty thumbs-up from our taste testers. The stuffing is full of flavor and this dish is super filling, which is why we suggest serving just half a squash as a portion size. We garnished the squash with some sliced green scallions which added a nice fresh crunch to the dish. And did you know the skin of the acorn squash is edible? You can literally make this meal completely disappear. This is a great vegetarian main dish or a perfect side dish for any of your favorite autumn dinners.
- 3 acorn squash
- 1 cup dry red quinoa, cooked as per directions
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup carrot, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Tablespoon Flippin' The Bird
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Optional: scallions to garnish
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut the top and bottom off of each squash. You want them to be able to stand up, so the bottoms need to be flat. Cut in half, and scoop out seeds and membranes and discard.
- Place the squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place squash in oven, and roast for 35-40 minutes. Check for tenderness with a fork.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions, set aside.
- In a deep skillet, or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Add garlic, mushrooms, cranberries, and Flippin' the Bird. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Season with Fine Sea Salt and Black Pepper Medium Grind, to taste.
- Add the cooked quinoa and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Stuff the squash with the filling and bake in oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish with scallions and serve!
