Nut-Stuffed Winter Squash

This would be a great dish for a holiday dinner.  We poured a little mushroom gravy on top which made it taste like stuffing and went well with the sweetness of the squash.

Nut-Stuffed Winter Squash

1/2        cup quinoa

             filtered water

             sea salt

1 or 2    acorn squash (recipe calls for 1 but there was enough stuffing for 2)

1/2        cup minced pecans

1           onion, finely diced

             approximately 2 teaspoons light sesame oil

1/4        cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

             pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg

1/4        cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4        cup raisins (optional - but really makes the dish)

Rinse quinoa several times to help remove saponin, which can make the grain taste bitter if not rinsed off.  Bring quinoa, 1 cup water and pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Reduce heat and cook, covered, over low heat until quinoa is tender and fluffy and water is completely absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold squash. Cut the bottoms off the acorn squash just enough so that each half sits squarely, cut side up.  Arrange the squash halves in prepared baking dish.

Combine cooked quinoa, pecans, onion, a light drizzle of oil, parsley, spices, raisins and a little salt and enough bread crumbs to make a stuffing that holds together. Divide stuffing among squash halves. Filling them abundantly. Top with a dab of Soy Margarine if you have on hand.

Add a little water to the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour, until the squash pierces easily with a fork.  Remove cover and bake about 5 minutes to firm the filling.  Serve warm.

I topped with a mushroom gravy that I made with vegetable stock, mushrooms (cooked), dash of soy sauce and flour for thickening.