Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash- Vegan and Gluten Free


stuffed acorn squash quarters

Quinoa stuffed acorn squash is a delicious fall dish that is easy to cook, mild tasting, and filling. It provides a good deal of fiber, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants. Making it a healthy choice for a beautiful looking and nutritious side dish.


cut the squash into quarters, roasted it, and then added some simple quinoa and pomegranate stuffing. The quinoa provided some protein while the pomegranate offered some powerful antioxidants. 

quinoa and pomegranate stuffing

The colorful fall side dish looked beautiful and made a nice impression at our holiday dinner (Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year) last week.

Fall is definitely in the air in Bucks County! This morning is was around 40 degrees and the high only reached 64. Last week it was very hot and in the upper 80's! I noticed that some of the trees have leaves that are beginning to turn yellow and neighbors are starting to display their yearly fall decorations of pumpkins, mums, and fall wreaths on their doors. When it begins to feel like fall, I begin to cook winter squashes.



I've also been making some "fall-feeling" soups, such as quick and easy red lentil  (link) and potato dill (link).  The farmer's markets are still flourishing, but summer produce such as tomatoes, corn, and eggplant are coming to an end. Hopefully now we will soon start seeing the winter squashes, cabbages, and greens which tolerate the cooler weather.

Ingredients: 

2 large acorn squashes, washed, cut in quarters, and seeds removed.  Olive oil spray                                                                                      1 and 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa                                                          1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds                                                              Optional: 1/4 cup of maple syrup- drizzle maple syrup over the stuffing or the squash.

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place acorn squash quarters on a parchment covered rimmed cookie sheet.  Spray the acorn squash with oil and place in oven for about half-hour until squash is soft. Mix quinoa and pomegranate seeds together and add some mixture to the cavity of each squash quarter.  Serve 1 quarter per person.

My Notes: 

Quinoa cooks up quickly and beautifully in your Instant Pot (link). See my previous post on how to  make light and fluffy quinoa (link) in your Instant Pot ( Pressure cooks for 2 minutes and sits for 12 minutes before releasing steam). 

Previous Acorn Squash Favorites



11 comments:

  1. Looks delicious, acorn squash is one of my fall favorites!

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  2. This looks wholesome! Acorn is so colorful and one of my favourite squashes.

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  3. This looks wonderful! BTW - My husband comes from Buck's County!

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  4. I’m not a lover or acorn squash but love the butternut, roasted or in soup. Delicious.

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  5. This looks so delicious! I love acorn squash and I bet the pop of tartness from the pomegranate is a great addition to this dish! :)

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  6. I've loved roasted acorn squash for years and the stuffing sounds marvelous!

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  7. Number 4! I must be hitting the wrong key! OK. Again. I bought acorn squash at the market Friday and am eager to try this stuffing. This weekend I'll be stuffing with diced apples mixed with finely diced ham, mixed with just a teaspoon or two of brown sugar thinned with a squirt of lemon juice. I'll put that in the oven to heat the apples and ham, then remove, put a bit of cheddar on top and candied walnuts (since I have them!). Eager to do that with the quinoa and seeds. Fabulous. Meanwhile, thank you so much for coming over to my blog today. It was lovely seeing you there!

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  8. Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,503. Sure hope to see you again soon!
    Miz Helen

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