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A is for: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples & Quinoa

When I first told people I was moving to the East Coast after ten years in California, generally their first reaction was: “Those winters are brutal.”

But it was almost always followed up with a secondary comment: “But you will love autumn.”

Of course, both statements are absolutely true. Winter was pretty rough last year, and they’re saying this year is supposed to be even worse. (Grrrrreaaaat.)

This makes it especially important to embrace and enjoy everything that New England fall has to offer.

Recently, I went apple picking with my friend Adam. I made sure not to go too crazy with my apple and pear bounty, but I knew I had to make something apple-related for the blog.

Most people would go for something sweet… like apple pie, apple crisp, etc. But as you know, I’m not much of a baker and not a huge sweets gal, so I decided to go with something a little more savory.

You will love this recipe for a meatless Monday in the fall, or even for a lovely (and healthy) Thanksgiving side dish. Once I decided I was doing a stuffed acorn squash, I was delighted to spot these guys at the grocery store. They are organic white acorn squash, and I thought they were so pretty and festive.

I think squash are virtually impossible to cut while raw, so I generally like to start the roasting process before I cut and clean them. Simply place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove, allow to cool slightly slice off the top at about 3/4 of the way up the squash. Scoop out the seeds (can save for roasting if you’d like), and brush the insides and exposed squash with olive oil.

For the stuffing, I did a mix of onion, garlic, quinoa, apples, golden raisins, pine nuts and parsley. I loved the different textures and the mix of savory and sweet.

Evenly divide the filling among the squash. If you want it to get a little crispy on top, roast with the tops off (but still off to the side if you want some of the squash from the “lids). Otherwise, you can gently place the tops back on the squash. Roast for another 40 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender.

From there, just plate and serve! I love that the entire thing is edible… a perfect bite will have squash and a spoonful of filling. Enjoy fall! Winter will be here before we know it.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples & Quinoa

by Jaymee Sire
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Keywords: bake side entree gluten-free vegan vegetarian acorn squash quinoa apple Thanksgiving fall













Ingredients (4 servings)

  • 4 medium acorn squash (white or regular)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
  • 1 small to medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place squash on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove, cool slightly, and carefully slice off the top of the squash (about 3/4 of the way up the vegetable). Remove seeds and stringy flesh. Brush insides and cut portions of squash with olive oil.
  3. Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add diced apples, and saute a few minutes more. Stir in quinoa, golden raisins, pine nuts and parsley.
  4. Evenly divide filling into the squash. Return to oven and bake until squash is fork-tender, about another 40 minutes.
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  • Knapp time with Joe
    December 28, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    Looks like a great recipe Jaymee, will have to try it in the fall!!