Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe was adapted from the October issue of More Magazine. I chose to serve it with grilled chicken but it easily could have been served on it's own with a big salad. Acorn squash is a personal favorite of mine but if you prefer any of the other varieties I'm sure they would work as well. The recipe is unusually sweet and nutty so it seems impossible that it only has 374 calories per serving with only 129 from fat. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 2 lbs acorn squash (2 @ 1 lb each)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)
• 1/3 cup natural almonds (raw)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup dried apricot, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut side of each squash with 1/2 teaspoon honey; place squash, cut side down, onto the baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, put the quinoa and 1 c water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover; cook until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In a dry medium-size skillet, toast the nuts over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, three to five minutes. Allow them to cool, then chop them.
4. Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook until is softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon and ginger. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice.
5. Add the onion mixture to the cooked quinoa, stirring until well combined. Stir in the almonds, apricots, parsley and mint; season with salt and pepper. To serve, place a squash half on a serving plate then fill each piece of squash with one quarter of the quinoa mixture. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon of honey, and serve.