Stuffed Acorn Squash for Two

Without fail, my winter CSA means many meals of stuffed squash. I would make it occasionally in the years before I started getting a winter CSA share, but now it has become a staple fall/winter meal. I am constantly in search of new recipes and flavor combinations and this basic template allows me to easily experiment with myriad combinations of beans, grains, greens, and nuts. The amounts listed for the main ingredients here are all ranges because the size of the squash you're stuffing (and appetite) can vary quite a bit, but I typically lean towards the higher end so I can pack my squash to the absolute limit.

Sometimes I'll buy specific ingredients for combinations I think will be delicious, but more often than not I'm improvising with is in my pretty well-stocked pantry and fridge. To give you a little inspiration, I'll offer the tasty combination pictured above - quinoa, kale, cannellini beans, and walnuts - a meal equally appropriate for a weeknight dinner as a vegetarian main on Thanksgiving. (You can also keep it gluten-free by using quinoa or rice.) Flexible, delicious, nutritious, and easy, this recipe surely deserves a regular place in your winter meal rotation.


Stuffed Acorn Squash for Two
adapted from Whole Living
serves 2

1 halved and seeded acorn, festival, or delicata squash
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 diced large onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs
1/3 to 1/2 cup cooked beans (white, black, pinto, garbanzo, etc.)
1/3 to 1/2 cup cooked grains (quinoa, brown rice, bulgur, couscous, etc.)
1 to 2 cups chopped hearty greens (kale, spinach, Swiss chard, etc.)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
2 Tbsp chopped toasted nuts or seeds, divided (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)
Lemon or balsamic (or other) vinegar

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush squash with 1 teaspoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast cut side down until tender, about 30 minutes. Flip and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add herbs, beans, grains, and greens. Cook, stirring, until greens wilt, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Divide stuffing between squash halves, top with Parmesan, and roast until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. For each serving, sprinkle with 1 tablespoons nuts or seeds and squeeze with lemon or vinegar.