quinoa stuffed acorn squash

Omg omg you guys!  It's almost Thanksgiving!!  Living the #basic fall life over here in Minnesota....just check out this awesome sweater:

Literally nothing better than coffee and cozy sweaters!
And yes, that sweater is from Target, with love.

Today, I want to share with you a kind of random, mishmash recipe that I created last night based on a combination of two recipes that I found for stuffed acorn squash.

What a beauty!  Spinachy, mushroomy, quinoay goodness!

I am still learning to cook seasonally, so many of these recipes are just as much of an adventure for me as they are for you!  You can ask my mom though, I did not eat squash when I was young.  Not even the variety that was cooked in butter and brown sugar.  I was not a fan.  I am living proof for moms everywhere that your kids can grow up to enjoy eating plants!

First things, first.  Did you know that you can microwave acorn squash to cook it?!  Mind.  Blown.  It was so cool!  I use this method for cooking sweet potatoes, but I have never tried it with anything else!  How cool is this?!  Just 8 minutes!!!  Check it out:

Now for the exciting part...the recipe!!!

Ingredients:
1 medium acorn squash
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil (olive oil or ghee works too)
1 cup cooked quinoa (I cooked mine in vegetable broth for more flavor)
1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 stalk celery, diced
1/3 yellow onion, diced
2 coves garlic, minced
2 cups spinach
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Recipe:
Follow package directions to prepare quinoa.  I substitute vegetable broth for water for added flavor.  When quinoa is done cooking, fluff with a fork and set aside.  Begin melting your oil in a saute pan on medium heat.  Toss in the onion, celery, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes before adding mushrooms.  Season it up with salt and pepper (maybe 1/2 teaspoon each), a couple shakes of garlic powder, and a dash of red pepper flakes.  While the veggies cook (about 12 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through), cut your acorn squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and place the halves open side up on a microwavable plate.  Microwave on high for about 8 minutes.  When the squash is should be fork tender, you can set that aside as well.   Add the spinach to the saute pan and cook, covered for about 5 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.  Mix together your veggies, quinoa, and the Parmesan cheese.  Stuff those squash halves full and sprinkle a little cheese on the top for good measure! Enjoy!

Changes you can make:
-Substitute olive oil, ghee, or butter for sauteing
-Cook quinoa with water for lower sodium variation
-Nix the cheese for a vegan preparation
-I would imagine you could use kale or another green as a sub for spinach
-Baked squash in the oven instead of nuking it (35 min at 375 Farenheit)

This is such a great fall recipe and I have to be honest, I was amazed at how quickly and easily it came together, considering I was flying by the seat of my pants as I made it!  Stay tuned for vegetarian Sheppard's pie next week!

Enjoy the fall weather before winter comes this weekend and don't forget to #eatseasonally!

xoxo,

anne

personal spaghetti squash lasagna

Hi, all!

I have been looking for creative way to use spaghetti squash and I kind of wanted to go outside of the realm of "just use it as pasta and put marinara sauce on top!"  

So I investigated on Pinterest and a few recipes for these sweet lasagna boats caught my eye.  As per the usual, I looked a few different ones to see the general preparation guidelines and then made it how I wanted to.  I know, I'm such a rebel.  ;]

Anyway, I used my limited resources and came up with my own rendition that I like to call "Personal Spaghetti Squash Lasagna":

Yum.  Is your mouth watering yet?  If not, look at that melty cheese again.  I bet it is now!

I have to admit that about halfway through one of these babies, I was questioning if I could finish it!  I did finish, but let's just say that I won't be having ANY snacks tonight!  This was SO satisfying!  It fills you up just like regular lasagna and warms you heart and soul!  I would classify this as a comfort food.  A delicious, fairly nutritious comfort food.  And the best part is that like most things I post, there is room for small changes to make it your own!  I already have a few in mind for next time!

Just a random side note, I am providing the recipe for the sauce below.  I had some in the freezer that I thawed out and used.  You can do that, or make some fresh and freeze what you don't use!  

So, without further ado, here is the recipe:

1 small spaghetti squash

1 cup easy meaty spaghetti sauce (recipe found here)

1/3 cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup Italian blend cheese (Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan)

1/4 cup fresh mozzarella

Fresh basil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut spaghetti squash in half.  Scoop out seeds and goop.  Lightly spray small oven-safe dish with nonstick spray.  Place spaghetti squash into dish and drizzle with olive oil.  Make sure to smear it around to cover the squash's inside and top surfaces.  Season with salt and pepper.  This is where I messed up.  The directions I found said to bake it face down, but I didn't do that.  I left it face up.  And you know what?  It turned out just as fabulous.

Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until you can just scrape the squash into strands.  Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.  Then scrape those strands out!  Then you can start layering like you would with regular lasagna!  I started with a layer of sauce, followed by squash, then sauce, dollop of cottage cheese, cheese blend, then start over with the squash!  I had enough for 2 layers.  I finished with a layer of sauce, lightly sprinkled some cheese blend, but topped it off with the fresh mozzarella and a couple of leaves of fresh basil!

Bake for another 30 minutes or until hot all the way through and the cheese on top starts to brown, juuuuust a tad!  I turned on the broiler for about 3 minutes at the end to give it a little more color.

And voila:

Your very own personal lasagna!  Just add wine!  ;]

Okay, so it was my day off, so YES, I indulged in a glass of red to go with this warm, delicious, comforting meal.  I think it would also go great with something like brussel sprouts or a nice spinach salad, but like I said, for me, this was PLENTY of food.  Very filling!

I bet you are also wondering what happened to the other half of the squash!  Well, let me just tell you!  You can double the rest of the recipe if you are cooking for two.  I however, am not.  So I lubed the other half up with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper and threw it in the oven at the same time as the half that later became lasagna.  The difference?  I left the other half in the oven until the lasagna was completely done.  I took them out at the same time and waited for it to cool while I ate and then scraped out the strands afterwards!  I threw them in the fridge and am planning to use them in another recipe!

Resourcefulness, people.  Make every grocery count!  :]

So anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!  It's such a great lower calorie, higher nutrient substitute for lasagna noodles.  And, in my humble opinion, it tastes WAY BETTER than regular spaghetti!

Share your favorite spaghetti squash recipes in the comments and stay tuned for what happens to the OTHER HALF!!!

Stay fit!

xoxo