Garlic Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa

 

One thing I love about my husband is that he is just as adventurous as me when it comes to food. We love almost everything and anything, except one thing....squash. 

This weekend I went and picked up our bountiful basket at the local search and rescue. I was excited to see we scored some cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, limes, lettuce, etc. We even got a hami melon, which I have never seen before in my life! One thing I was not excited about was getting not one, but two acorn squashes in our bountiful basket.

Determined to find a way to make acorn squash appealing to my husband and myself, I did some serious googling on the best way to prepare acorn squash. The results = roasting them with simple salt, pepper and olive oil. Roasting them, like all foods, brings out their best flavors and caramelizes them, which is always a good thing in my opinion.

 

Stuffing the acorn squash with a quinoa salad seemed like the logical choice and makes these garlic roasted squash a flavorful and hearty meatless main dish.

 

I was overjoyed when my husband kept saying, "Wow! This is really good. I can't believe how much
I like this squash!" I enjoyed it so much, I had to share it here with all of you! 

Garlic Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa
Servings: 2

• 1 Acorn Squash, halved and seeds/membrane scraped out
• 2 tablespoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil, divided
• Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Quinoa
• 1/4 cup Pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon dried Parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 (F). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Brush the cut sides of the acorn squash with 1 tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil and season with salt/pepper to taste. Bake for 20-25 minutes until squash is tender and caramelized.
Meanwhile, bring 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup Quinoa to a boil in a small pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the Quinoa is tender. Remove the pot from the heat and fluff the Quinoa with a fork. Transfer the cooked Quinoa to a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon garlic infused oil, pistachios, feta cheese, dried parsley, garlic salt, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar. Stir to combine and then fill the quinoa salad in the cavities of the acorn squash with a large spoon. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Inspired & Adapted by Martha Stewart