Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash

elemenoPee via "We Are Not Martha" blog

• 1 acorn squash
• 1 T butter
• 1 C quinoa
• 2 C chicken/veggie stock or broth (reduced sodium)
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 habanero peppers, chopped finely (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1/2 C mushrooms, chopped
• 2 C spinach, uncooked
• 1/2 feta, crumbled
• 1 T parsley, chopped
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

(Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees)

Start by slicing your acorn squash in half. You’ll need a sharp knife to do so. Trust me.

Once sliced (albeit perhaps unevenly), scoop out all the seeds.

Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper and put 1/2 T butter in each squash half.

Place on a baking tray and roast at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Make sure squash is tender to the fork upon removal (otherwise, stick it back in the oven for a few more minutes).

In the meantime, start cooking your quinoa, according to directions. You can use water, but I find chicken stock/broth to be a bit more flavorful. I generally try to get low-sodium, so I can control levels of salt. And, of course, use vegetable broth if you want to keep this dish vegetarian-friendly.

While the quinoa is cooking and the squash is roasting, pour your extra virgin olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, onion, garlic, and habaneros until they’re slightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and squeeze lemon juice over.

Now, turn heat to low and add the cooked quinoa to the veggie mixture. Throw in 2 cups of spinach and stir to combine and wilt spinach a bit.

Add in feta cheese and parsley here, as well. Save a little of each for topping, if you want

Your acorn squash should be looking beautiful by now.

Spoon quinoa mixture into acorn squash halves and top with a little extra feta. And parsley too, if you desire.

This is the kind of salad I could eat all day, every day. And it gets total bonus points for coming in an edible bowl. I loved taking a bite of the quinoa and then digging my fork into the squash. I swear, if you’re going to eat healthy this is the way to do it! I kind of want to add artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes to this next time. Or dried cranberries. The options are endless!

I was super full and satisfied when I was done with my squash. And I felt pretty good about myself, too.

It’s likely that you’ll have some leftover quinoa, too, which means you can have it for lunch the next day.