Winter squashes are the perfect hearty veggie to keep you warm and grounded during fall and winter. Pair this stuffed squash with a side of meat, or add some ground meat of your choice to the stuffing mix if you’re looking for extra protein. Enjoy!
Ingredients: Serving size: 2
For the squash:
- 1 acorn squash
- Avocado oil
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
For the filling:
- ⅓ cup wild rice
- Avocado oil
- Generous 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 large garlic clove
- 4-5 crimini mushrooms
- 2 cups loosely packed chopped lacinato kale
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ tsp thyme
- Paprika (or smoked paprika)
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- Optional:
- ½ cup bone broth (like Fond or Kettle & Fire)
- Balsamic vinegar
Method:
For the squash:
Preheat the oven to 400. Wash and cut the squash lengthwise down the middle, and remove and discard the seeds (or save the seeds to roast!). Place skin side down on a baking sheet, and drizzle with avocado oil, then add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your liking. Flip the squash so the skin is facing up, and roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
For the filling:
- Cook the rice according to the instructions on the bag. Option to use half bone broth and half water for your liquid for some extra flavor, protein and nutrients.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas if using from a can, then add to a bowl and coat with a bit of avocado oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. After mixing well, add the chickpeas to the same pan as the squash when there is 15 minutes remaining on the squash cook time. They should be golden brown with a slight crisp. Alternative to the oven, saute the chickpeas on a pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
- While the rice and squash are cooking, add avocado oil to a pan over medium heat. Dice or slice the mushrooms and shallot, and add them to the pan, cooking for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are slightly browned. Add the minced garlic and more oil if needed, and cook for another minute. Add the chopped kale, pecans, thyme, and pepper, and saute for a final 3 minutes. Add the salt at the end to avoid soggy mushrooms.
- Mix the rice and rest of the filling (except the chickpeas) together, leaving some rice aside if there is too much.
Assemble:
Plate each half of the squash, and stuff with the filling. Top with the crispy chickpeas, and optional drizzle of balsamic vinegar! You can store any extra filling or rice in a container for leftovers.
Recipe by By Aly Eads of Consciously Connected Health
