Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash – Gluten Free!

This savory dish is seasoned with cumin and sweet raisin, which together is a great compliment and with the added veggies and beans a wonderful whole meal. My husband, Bruce, gave it a 5/5 rating. We will be enjoying this again and again!

Modified from an original recipe, this is my version..

Ingredients
3 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional – I did not find this is necessary)
1 tablespoon organic butter or Earth Balance (if dairy free is needed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, *chopped
2 stalks celery *chopped
2 carrots, *chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 vegetable bouillon cube (omit cube if using 2 cups chicken or veggie broth)
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
6 teaspoons shredded cheddar cheese (Optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender.
3. While the squash is baking, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook five minutes. Mix in the kidney beans and raisins and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
4. Boil two cups water (or use the chicken or vegetable broth instead of water), one cup quinoa, and the bouillon cube together. Once this comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until quinoa is cooked. Season cooked quinoa with cumin, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the veggies and beans.
5. Stuff each squash half with about a cup of the quinoa veggie mixture. Optional: Sprinkle with one teaspoon cheddar cheese. Cook another five minutes or until the cheese is melted.

I found the original recipe found on “fitsugar.com.” And they had modified it from allrecipes.com Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash.

* Note: I decided I wanted my veggies finely chopped. My Pampered Chef Chopper does a great job with this!). I also ended up using more olive oil and butter than the recipe listed.

Read Full Post »