Herbed Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is another Elyssa original. The cupboard is pretty bare, so I had to get creative. Andrew wanted squash and quinoa salad. I didn't have quinoa, so I planned to substitute brown rice. Then I remembered what a pain peeling and cubing the acorn squash was, so I decided to just stuff it. It seemed too plain, so I spiced up the rice by adding dried herbs. You can add just about whatever suites you. I used oregano, basil and parsley, and threw in some garlic and onion powder. Feel free to use fresh herbs if you're feeling ambitious (as I clearly wasn't), it'll probably taste better anyways. Andrew topped his with honey lime sauce, and I ate mine with a mustard vinaigrette (I'll post the recipe below) I had left over from another dish. Both tasted great!

Herbed Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serves 3

• 3 acorn squash
• Brown rice (2 servings)
• 3/4 tsp. dried parsley
• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.
• 1/2 of a 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained.

1. Prepare the squash. Cut the little nib off the bottom to make a flat surface for the squash to sit on. Cut off a small piece of the top. With a knife, carve a hole in the top of the squash to expose the inner cavity with the seeds. Scrape out the seeds. 
2. Place the squash upside down in a baking tray with about 1/2 and inch of water. Bake in a 400º oven for 40 minutes, or until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.
3. Make the brown rice according to the package directions. Once the water boils, add the herbs and onion and garlic powders. 
4. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the black beans.
5. Stuff the rice mixture inside the squash.
6. Top with a sauce like honey lime sauce or mustard vinaigrette. 
7. Enjoy warm.

The squash with the bottom cut off upside down in a baking tray

The squash should look like the one to the right before going in the oven. The center squash still needs a hole in the top and its seeds removed.

Mustard Tarragon Vinaigrette 

• 3 Tbsp. minced shallots
• 3 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. safflower oil
• 1 tsp. dried tarragon

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

I got this recipe from the food section of Huffington Post. I'm addicted to that site. If you see me glued to my iPhone I'm most likely scanning through articles. I get a lot of recipe inspiration that way! This vinaigrette has somewhat of a bite (must be the shallots), so use sparingly.

Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Sauce

I just made the tastiest dish. It was my own creation, so I better write it down before I forget. This might be the first dish I ever created using just my imagination and the ingredients already in the kitchen.

Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Sauce

Serves about 4

Quinoa Salad:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 acorn squash; seeded, skin removed, and diced
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans; drained and rinsed

Honey Lime Sauce

• 1/4 cup honey*
• Zest from 1 lime
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Pinch of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Combine oil and squash in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
4. Combine the quinoa with the water in a covered pot and cook for about 18 minutes.
5. When the squash and quinoa are done, combine in a bowl with the black beans.
6. Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl.
7. Serve the salad and drizzle with the sauce.

This recipe for the sauce only makes a small amount, but a little goes a long way. You can always double the recipe if you don't think you have enough. I hope you enjoy my creation!

*There is some debate over whether honey should be considered vegan. I agree that technically it is an animal product. The honey I use comes from a neighbor, who I know treats her bees very humanely and harvests the honey sustainably. So yes it is an animal product, but I don't feel bad using it. Especially since it works wonders on my allergies!