Healthy Baked Acorn Squash with Quinoa + Dried Cherries

Thanksgiving is fast approaching (only 1 week from this Thursday!) which means the Fall season will be coming to a close soon. It also means that I am getting my fill on cooking with gourds - remember the butternut squash soup or the pumpkin cream cheese bread from weeks past?  Well I have another seasonal recipe for you, this time using acorn squash.  Although technically a winter squash, I tend to associate it with classic Fall flavors - which you'll find in this recipe in the subtle hints of brown sugar & maple syrup.

Final product | Get in my belly

Super easy to prepare & beyond tasty, acorn squash also has a number of nutritional benefits: it's an excellent source of fiber & potassium, and it contains a healthy dose of vitamins C & B, magnesium, and manganese.  What you pair with the squash can also add additional sources of important vitamins and minerals, which is why I chose to combine it with some quinoa & natural dried cherries for a healthy & fun twist.  One or two halves of an acorn squash may also be enough to fill you up, but if you're feeding others it's a good idea to serve the squash with something else, like a protein or greens.  In this case I seasoned some fresh tilapia fillets with a little olive oil & lemon pepper, baked them in a glass dish and served them up alongside the squash - a nice, lighter touch to our meal.

Check out the photos & recipe below for the acorn squash & quinoa - and happy last few weeks of Fall!

Halved acorn squash | Pre-bake glaze

Brown sugar & maple syrup-glazed halves | Pre-bake

Acorn squash halves | Post-bake

Dinner is served | Acorn squash w/ quinoa + dried cherries | Served with baked tilapia

Baked Acorn Squash with Quinoa + Dried Cherries

Ingredients

- 1 acorn squash

- 1 tblsp, plus 1 tsp lite maple syrup

- 1 tblsp brown sugar

- 1 cup dried cherries (could also use dried cranberries or any other dried fruit you enjoy)

- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (you could also use couscous or rice in place of the quinoa, just follow package directions)

- 2 cups water

- salt + pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400º F.  Rinse off whole acorn squash & dry completely.  Using a large knife, carefully cut squash in half (squash can be tough to cut through so use caution), then scoop out seeds/strings from each half.  Place squash on a cookie sheet, cut-sides up.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar & lite maple syrup; brush mixture liberally over the inside of each squash half until mixture is used up.  Bake squash in the oven at 400º F for 1 hour 10 mins.

For the quinoa, begin cooking in the last 15 mins of the squash baking time.  In a medium sauce pan, bring 2 cups water to a boil.  Soak 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in water for 3-5 mins; drain & transfer to the boiling water on the stove.  Bring quinoa to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer for up to 15 mins, or until water is absorbed, stirring occasionally.  

Remove squash from oven when time is up and let cool a bit while still on cookie sheet.  Stir dried cherries and remaining 1 tsp lite maple syrup into cooked quinoa.  Season lightly with salt & pepper.  Spoon quinoa into each squash half and serve.

*We found the squash & quinoa taste yummiest when you use your fork to sort of shred the squash and then mix it in with the quinoa + cherries.  So. Good.  Enjoy!