So a few weeks ago, I bought a ginormous acorn squash at the store because I wanted to try a squash recipe that I learned from the Healthy Eating class I took a few weeks ago. (more on that on another post..)
I had a bunch of different ingredients and used what I had on hand:
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| Organic barley, organic shiitake mushrooms, acorn squash and organic kale |
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| Kale! |
Here's recipe # 1 (a variation on my Healthy Eating teacher's recipe)
Stuffed Acorn Squash
(Serves 2-4)
Ingredients:
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 a large onion, chopped
- 1 lb of ground turkey
- I package of organic mushrooms, chopped (you can use Shiitake, Baby Bella, Button)
- 1 cup organic barley
- 1 bunch of organic kale, stems removed, chopped
- 2 small acorn squashes (or in my case, 1 large one)
- 1 can of corn
- 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese (or any grated cheese)
- Olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice acorn squash in half or quarters depending on how big the squash is. Remove the seeds, rinse and pat dry. Coat generously with olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast squash face down on a foil-lined pan for 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse & cook barley according to package directions: Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil, then add a bit of salt & the barley and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until barley is tender.
While the barley cooks, sauté the onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Season lightly with sea salt & pepper. Add the ground turkey and mix until mostly cooked. Then add the mushrooms. Cook until softened. Add the corn and the kale and cook until kale is slightly wilted (try not to overcook if possible to retain the nutrients). When barley is cooked, add to vegetable mixture and add grated cheese. Mix thoroughly.
Spoon the barley mixture into the hollowed out squash and serve.
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This actually turned out quite good! My husband enjoyed it =) |
And then, even though I had only 1 large squash between 2 of us, we couldn't finish it! So, I looked up some recipes online using squash and found this great recipe for Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash from MarthaStewart.com
Macaroni & Cheese w/ Acorn Squash (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups of pureed squash
- 1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat
- 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound shell pasta (I used whole wheat)
- 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup) - I used white & yellow cheddar
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce)
- 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine pureed squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. (You can use uncooked squash and let simmer longer until squash is tender.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Here's how mine turned out!
Mmmmm.. these were quite delicious and healthy too! More to come soon...
