Stuffed Acorn Squash

Squash season is my favourite season!! There are so many varieties to choose from like butternut, acorn, delicata, spaghetti, buttercup, hubbard, kabocha and sweet pumpkins. I think my favourite part of squash season is actually going to pick the squash from the field.. Something about picking my vegetables right from the ground makes cooking with them more meaningful and I respect the plants much more.

These stuffed acorn squash are some serious eating. I scooped out a little squash from the inside so I could fit more filling in and just saved the squash that I removed to eat later. I did make these vegetarian and you can omit the goat cheese to make it vegan. If you are someone who needs or prefers the animal protein, I would sub in or add a free-range turkey sausage. I got sausages for by bf because he likes the extra protein - and he has in his head that a meal cannot be filling without meat…(eye roll). But opinions aside, I was STUFFED after eating just a portion of these.

To breakdown the nutrition there is:

Acorn Squash - beta carotene for great skin and to fight oxidation. Plus TONS of soluble fibre to balance blood sugar and help eliminate excess cholesterol

Lentils - iron, protein and zinc, which are key nutrients to focus on if you are vegan or vegetarian because the main sources are in animal products. Plus more fibre

Quinoa - magnesium to calm the nerves and the muscles (and promote sleep), manganese for a strong skeletal system and more fibre and protein

Kale - vitamin A for skin, vitamin C for immunity and calcium for the bones and muscles

Pumpkin seeds - high in zinc for immunity, cell division and testosterone production

These are the main components in the meal but there is even more nutrition packed in the pomegranate seeds, lemon juice, and carrots to boost antioxidants even more! I also used goat cheese for flavour and because it is generally better tolerated by our digestive system and less allergenic to most. I would also recommend this meal to athletes because of the complex carbohydrate content that will keep glycogen levels steady in long running, biking or skiing.

This meal is a great way to use up left overs as well. You could sub out the quinoa for brown rice or millet and the lentils for garbanzo beans or mung beans. As oppose to stuffed peppers or zucchini boats, stuffed squash takes a little more time because the squash cooks longer. However, stuffed vegetables can actually be quite a quick dinner idea to revamp your ingredients into a new hearty dinner. Just throw together a mix of grains, proteins and vegetables and bake them in bell peppers, spaghetti squash, or hollowed out zucchini for ~35 minutes and you’ve got meals for days. If you know you are going to be making these or something else stuffed, just cook a little extra the night before to make prep quick and easy.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 lg acorn squash (or 2 small) - cut in half and seeded*

2 tsp avocado or coconut oil

1/2 purple onion - diced

2 cups kale - chopped

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup cooked lentils

2 tsp thyme - dried

1 tsp rosemary

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp goat cheese - optional

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds - optional

Roasted Garlic pumpkin seed Cream

1/4 cup pumpkin seed butter or tahini

3 cloves roasted garlic

3 tbsp lemon juice - 1 1/2 sm lemons

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup water to thin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare your squash and roasted garlic. Chop the top off of a head of garlic and cover with 1/2 tsp avocado or olive oil. Wrap in tin foil and bake

2. Place squash face down on a baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes to soften with garlic

3. While baking, heat a pan with oil and add onions and carrots to soften. Add in thyme, cumin and cinnamon

4. Add kale and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add in quinoa, lentils, salt and pepper and warm through

5. Remove squash from oven and scoop out the centre slightly to fit at least a cup of filling inside and pack with quinoa mixture

6. Place back in the oven and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the squash is soft

7. While in the oven, prepare the cream sauce in a blender or food processor. Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy

8. Remove squash from the oven and top with goat cheese, pomegranate seeds and roasted garlic cream and dig in

* You can roast these seeds and eat them just like pumpkin seeds. Try them with coconut sugar and cinnamon or paprika and cumin (or all together)