Acorn Squash and Pepitas

This recipe is my interpretation of a recipe I saw in a magazine. I love squash, but the Acorn variety is one that hasn't wow'ed me yet...so I decided to give it another go. Last night was our "Friendsgiving" (thanksgiving with friends), and my contribution was this and the pumpkin pies. My recipe goes....

-2 Acorn squash
-One cup toasted, salted pepitas
-Ghee
-Smoked paprika, cayenne, salt

Preheat oven to 415.

Slice the acorn squash in half, and then slice half moons using the squashes natural lines as a guide. Lay in baking dish and season generously with smoked paprika, cayenne (just a bit), and salt (being mindful that the pepitas are salted).

Ghee: you can but it, or you can make it. Yesterday, I made it from scratch for the first time. Ghee is simply butter with the moisture and fat milk solids removed. I did one stick of butter in a skillet over medium/medium low heat (you want to cook the butter down but not burn it). It takes about 10minutes for the "crackling" sound to stop and that means that you can take it off the heat. Let it sit and cool a bit for about 10/15minutes. Then pour through a very fine strainer or cheesecloth...which leaves you with clarified butter, or ghee. It's delicious, healthier and has so much flavor!! Also, it's candida friendly! Drizzle this over the squash.

Roast at 415 for 45minutes covered with tin foil. Then uncover and put under broiler for 10minutes to brown it off. Sprinkle pepitas over top and salt to taste.

This got RAVE reviews at dinner. Also, you can eat the skin of the squash because it's so tender, but you can also scrape the squash out and leave the skin be. Diners choice.

Autumn Stuffed Squash

A friend posted a picture of a squash stuffed with wild rice on Facebook, and it sparked my interest. I headed to Santoris, picked up some Acorn squash and meditated on it for a bit. I ended up with the following creation....a first attempt that was actually a super success!

Autumn Stuffed Squash (for 4)

-2 acorn squash
-1 cup quinoa (soaked and rinsed)
-2 cups chicken broth or veg broth
-5 spring onions
-1 small zucchini, diced small
-fresh sage
-large handful kale (sliced fine)
-sundried tomatoes
-cashews
-salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes
-tahini
-lemon juice

1. Slice the acorn squash in half. Scoop out any seeds. Place in a roasting dish, face up. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and a touch of nutmeg. Drizzle with oil (coconut or olive) and pour 1/2 cup of chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting dish. Cover with tin foil and roast at 250 for about 2 hours. You want the squash to be tender, but not mushy.

2. After soaking (best if soaked overnight, but a few hours will do) and rinsing the quinoa, pour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into pot with quinoa and bring to a boil. Hit it with salt and garlic. Boil for a few minutes then put it on simmer for 15 minutes with a lid covering it. Take it off the heat, cover the top of the pot with a papertowel, put the lid back on and let it sit for five minutes. Fluff with a fork. Season with some red pepper flakes.

3. In a skillet, sautée diced green onions, zucchini, kale, sundried tomatoes, sage and chopped cashews. Salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes.

4. Toss quinoa and diced veggies together and then use this to stuff the squash.

5. Place this under the broiler or in the oven to warm and bring it all together.

6. The dressing: tahini, lemon juice, hot water (to thin it to right consistency), garlic, and salt.

Hit it with a dash of salt and serve a little salad alongside. Boom.

So damn delicious. Enjoy.