As we head into the holiday season, this quinoa kale stuffed acorn squash is a recipe you will want to keep on hand. Not only is it a beautiful dish, but the flavors are a perfect blend for fall and winter. Warm grains, greens, nuts and cranberries – such a delicious stuffing!
This recipe uses two acorn squashes to make 4 very large servings. These could also be used to serve 8, though cutting the squashes can be challenging due to the tough peeling. But Mr. Key Lime and I ate these for dinner and we had just one of the half acorn squashes for our entire meal, with no side dishes, and I couldn’t finish all of mine. They are very rich tasting and super filling.
You can use either walnuts, pecans or pine nuts in this recipe. I found that the pine nuts were a bit too hard after being baked. If you don’t mind have that texture in your bites, then they’ll be fine.
I also use Gardein’s Beefless Grounds in my stuffing, because in the old days, I loved the seasonings in sausage which flavored a stuffing or dressing. To get that same “sausage effect,” I splashed a tiny bit of olive oil into a small skillet, added 1/2 cup of beefless grounds and 3/4 teaspoon of dried sage, then sautéed for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat. The sage flavor level was *just right* in the final dish.
If you don’t like dried fruits in savory dishes, you can omit the cranberries. I find that little boost of tangy and sweet adds so much to the dish. Even Mr. Key Lime, who doesn’t eat raisins or currants, especially in warm dishes (not even desserts), liked the cranberries in this filling.
You might also like to try these:
Or have a look at my Fall & Winter Holidays recipes for more ideas!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
large servings
|
- 2 large acorn squash halved, with seeds and pulp removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 3/4 cup quinoa uncooked
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth,
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups fresh kale loosely packed, chopped
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup pecans chopped, or chopped walnuts, or pine nuts
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries or to taste
- 1/2 cup beefless vegan meat grounds I use Gardein frozen Beefless Grounds,
- 3/4 teaspoon dried sage
Ingredients
|
|
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Halve both squashes down the center, carefully, and scoop out all seeds and loose pulp. Using a fork, scrape a little bit on the inside of each scooped out part of the squash halves.
- Place the squash on the baking sheet cut side up and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Rub the oil into the cut surface of the acorn squashes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 45 minutes or until tender and mostly cooked to serving texture.
- For the filling, in a large skillet, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the kale and cook one more minute, until it's wilted.
- Add the uncooked quinoa, the 1/4 teaspoon salt,1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce to low heat for simmering, covered. Cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes or until the water is mostly absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Check occasionally and stir to keep from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Add a splash of broth if necessary.
- Stir in the cranberries, chopped nuts, and beefless ground & sage mixture into the filling. Stir to combine.
- Once the squashes have cooked 45 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Divide the filling between the four squash halves, using all of the filling.
- Return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave any feedback in comments below. Also, share your comments on Instagram: @key_lime_coconut or on Twitter: @keylime_coconut.
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