Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
Photo: iStock
Serves 8
Ingredients
If blood oranges aren't available in your area, use tangerines. They're not as pretty, but they're just as good.
4 large acorn squash (about 1 pound each), stemmed, halved and seeded
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
6 medium green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small celery stalk, diced (about 3 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup dried cranberries, blueberries, currants or raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup dried apricots, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, drained and diced
1 tsp. dried sage
2 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, such as basmati
1 1/2 cups cooked red, or white, quinoa
1/2 cup freshly squeezed blood-orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt, preferably sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°.
Lightly oil a baking sheet large enough to hold all the squash halves. Place the squash, cut-side down, on the prepared baking sheet, then transfer to the center of the oven. Bake until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes. A wire cooling rack on which to place the baking sheet works best here.
About 10 minutes before the squash is done baking, warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until the celery is softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the dried berries, nuts, dried apricots and sage. Cook, slowly stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
Add the rice, quinoa, blood-orange juice, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring often, until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. If your squash is not done cooling, cover the quinoa and rice mix to keep it warm.
Flip the squash over and transfer to a platter, or your dining plates. Stuff the quinoa and rice mixture into the squash to serve.
From Clean Protein: The Revolution that Will Reshape Your Body, Boost Your Energy—and Save Our Planet (Hachette Books), by Kathy Freston and Bruce Friedrich.
Ingredients
If blood oranges aren't available in your area, use tangerines. They're not as pretty, but they're just as good.
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°.
Lightly oil a baking sheet large enough to hold all the squash halves. Place the squash, cut-side down, on the prepared baking sheet, then transfer to the center of the oven. Bake until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes. A wire cooling rack on which to place the baking sheet works best here.
About 10 minutes before the squash is done baking, warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until the celery is softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the dried berries, nuts, dried apricots and sage. Cook, slowly stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
Add the rice, quinoa, blood-orange juice, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring often, until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. If your squash is not done cooling, cover the quinoa and rice mix to keep it warm.
Flip the squash over and transfer to a platter, or your dining plates. Stuff the quinoa and rice mixture into the squash to serve.
From Clean Protein: The Revolution that Will Reshape Your Body, Boost Your Energy—and Save Our Planet (Hachette Books), by Kathy Freston and Bruce Friedrich.
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