Here is the long-awaited Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe that many of you have asked me for. I actually can't take credit for it. It was passed along to me from a client of mine, who got the idea from The Common Man Restaurant in Lincoln, NH. I tweaked it a bit, and you can too if you'd like (e.g. switch up the meat or use no meat, switch up the dried fruit, etc.)!
Ingredients:
1-2 acorn or buttercup squash
1 c tri-color quinoa
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp shredded carrots
1-2 c raw spinach
8-12 small to medium-sized shrimp (I used frozen but fresh will do too)
2 tbsp dried cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)
2-4 tsp olive oil*
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F
2. If shrimp are frozen, place in a bowl of hot water
3. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. You can wash the seeds, pat them dry, and toast them to have with dinner or as a snack later.
4. Lightly coat the squash with 1-2 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Place squash on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F until tender - this will probably take ~45 minutes.
6. Cook quinoa in a pot on the stove according to package instructions.
7. Add 1-2 tsp of olive oil to a frying pan and turn on medium heat.
8. Add chopped onion and shredded carrots and sauté until tender.
9. Add shrimp to pan and cook until lightly brown on each side.
10. Add spinach to frying pan and stir mixture until spinach wilts.
11. Combine veggie and shrimp mixture with cooked quinoa
12. Add quinoa mixture to cooked squash and top with dried cranberries
13. Enjoy!
*When I made this recipe, I used Garlic Olive Oil, which added some delicious flavor!
Ingredients:
1-2 acorn or buttercup squash
1 c tri-color quinoa
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp shredded carrots
1-2 c raw spinach
8-12 small to medium-sized shrimp (I used frozen but fresh will do too)
2 tbsp dried cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)
2-4 tsp olive oil*
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F
2. If shrimp are frozen, place in a bowl of hot water
3. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. You can wash the seeds, pat them dry, and toast them to have with dinner or as a snack later.
4. Lightly coat the squash with 1-2 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Place squash on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F until tender - this will probably take ~45 minutes.
6. Cook quinoa in a pot on the stove according to package instructions.
7. Add 1-2 tsp of olive oil to a frying pan and turn on medium heat.
8. Add chopped onion and shredded carrots and sauté until tender.
9. Add shrimp to pan and cook until lightly brown on each side.
10. Add spinach to frying pan and stir mixture until spinach wilts.
11. Combine veggie and shrimp mixture with cooked quinoa
12. Add quinoa mixture to cooked squash and top with dried cranberries
13. Enjoy!
*When I made this recipe, I used Garlic Olive Oil, which added some delicious flavor!