Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Cheers to doing things a little differently... just because different is what feels right. 

There are many ways this mantra has come up for me this year, in my relationships, my career, and my food. 

Traditionally, The Holidays are a time to gorge oneself on nutritionally empty foods. Of course this can be fun in the moment. But that 'good' feeling passes soon after the food passes one's lips. This holiday season I can't help but to think deeply about how I am feeding myself in terms of the food that I put in my belly and my primary foods. To learn more about primary foods, click here and/or ask me to explain more.

Thank you Rachel Kurtz, the author of the fabulous vegetarian cooking blog at www.Kitchsplosion.com, for this delicious gluten free fall dish. I served the stuffing, sans squash, as a side at our organic Thanksgiving Feast this year.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1-1/2 cups vegetable broth or water to cook quinoa

2 large acorn squashes, halved and seeds scooped out and insides rubbed with olive oil

1 TBS olive oil

1 cup minced onion

1/2 lb. mushrooms, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, minced

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp thyme

2 TBS lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 apple, cored and chopped

6 dried apricots, minced

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Cook the quinoa in veggie broth or water on your stove or in a rice cooker,  just as you’d prepare rice.
3. Meanwhile, roast the squash, cut side down on a baking sheet or dish at 375° for 25 minutes
4. While quinoa and squash are cooking, get to work on the stuffing:  Saute the onion, mushrooms, garlic and celery in the olive oil.
5. When the quinoa is finished cooking, stir to fluff.
6. When the squash have cooked for 25 minutes, pull them out of the oven and lower the temperature to 350°
7. In a mixing bowl, add quinoa, sauteed mixture, salt, pepper, spices, lemon juice, walnuts, sunflower seeds, apple, and apricots. Stir well and then add the Parmesan cheese (optional) and stir again.
8. Turn your squash over and stuff generously with quinoa mixture. Bake covered 20-30 minutes until the squash is tender. You may want to uncover them towards the end to toast up the stuffing.