Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Today we went meatless which in this house happens about once a month. It’s not that I don’t enjoy cooking or eating vegetarian treats, I just LOVE meat. I love the total satisfaction it provides me. Growing up Garand meant eating an animal based protein at every meal, so I guess I come by it honestly. All that said, over the years I have created a few meatless dishes that provided me that wonderful full glow that a hot bowl of beef stew provides…sans the beef and the stew, and this is one of them.

Ingredients

Acorn squash cut in half
2 tsp of butter
1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup of mixed sweet peppers
2 tbsp of green cooking onions
1 clove Ontario garlic
2 tsp of shredded carrots
½ stick of finely cut up celery
½ cup finely chopped wal-nuts
1 tsp dried red chilies
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree’s, cut squash in half, and place 1 tsp of butter in each boat cover with tinfoil and bake for 90min.
While squash is baking in small frying pan, sauté peppers, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 min. do not over cook veggies, you want them al dente.
Cook your quinoa according to package directions with chicken stock and set aside.
Once squash is cooked remove from oven and scoop out the insides and set aside.
Take quinoa and sautéed veggies mix together with reserved squash, add salt, pepper and chilies. Stuff mixture back into squash.
Recover squash and bake for another 10 min.

You can eat these as is or add a nice marinara sauce to them, your choice. I have also substituted the quinoa for brown rice and the walnuts for sunflower, all work well depending on the flavor you are craving. This is a great main a bit heavy for a side. Mix it up and enjoy!