southwestern stuffed acorn squash

llendril — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 05:59:53 -0700

my love affair with all things autumn continues.
well, all things autumn save for the clothing. i am at a complete loss when it comes to dressing for cooler weather-- and i'm afraid to imagine what will happen come wintertime. i was out shopping today, moseying through stores filled with sweaters and coats and scarves (oh my!). the only thing i could think to do? head to the back, to the sale racks, to the tank tops. i bought a tank top today. it should really do me well, oh, six months from now.

but you are probably here to read about food. so i will get to that now.
i am at least adapting well to the changing of seasons as far as the kitchen is concerned. this time around i decided to try acorn squash-- a variety i have never eaten before.

southwestern stuffed acorn squash
adapted from eating well magazine, october 2007

* 1 acorn squash
* 2 ounces chicken sausage, sweet italian style
* 1/3 small onion, chopped
* 1/4 medium red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 small clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2/3 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
* 5 ounces canned black beans, rinsed
* pinch of salt
* 1/3 cup shredded light jarlsberg

1) preheat oven to 375°. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray
2) cut squash in half horizontally. scoop out and discard seeds. place squash cut-side down on baking sheet and bake in oven for about 45 minutes, until tender
3) meanwhile, coat a skillet with cooking spray. heat over medium heat
4) add sausage and cook about 3 to 5 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon
5) add onion and bell pepper. cook, stirring often, about 3 to 5 minutes
6) stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin. cook about 30 seconds
7) stir in tomatoes, beans, and salt
8 ) cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 to 12 minutes, until tomatoes are broken down
9) remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325°
10) fill squash halves with sausage mixture. top with cheese. place on baking sheet (cut-side up) and bake until filling is heated and cheese melts, about 10 minutes

(warning: terrible lighting conditions, not-so-great photos)

i had a really good feeling about this recipe. i knew that i would love it, and it certainly did not disappoint. the sweetness of the squash married quite well with the slight spiciness of the filling (the original recipe calls for hot sauce, which i omitted). the entire dish felt warm and hearty-- very comforting, in that respect-- and yet is still quite good for you. i love cooking with black beans (and that love only intensified once they made the list of 8 foods you should eat every day) and this was a fantastic way to combine them with the very autumn-y squash.

a poorly-lit shot, but this is to give you a better idea of how the filling turned out.

not much else to say about this one except for it's delicious. enjoy! and i look forward to blogging about more fall-inspired recipes soon!

spaghetti squash with lemon and capers

llendril — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:47:06 -0700

spaghetti squash with lemon and capers
adapted from foodnetwork.com

to cook the squash:
in a large pot (or dutch oven), cover whole squash with cold water. bring to a boil on high heat over the stove, then lower heat, cover, and allow to boil for about 30 minutes. remove squash from water and carefully cut in half lengthwise (squash will be hot! take precautions). remove seeds (there should be a bunch of seeds in its pulp in the center. don't worry about extracting each individual seed. just take out all of the pulp that the seeds are caught in. there's plenty of squash to go around even when you do it that way). then, with a fork, carefully take out spaghetti-like strands and put in a bowl.

for the sauce:

* 4 tablespoons light butter
* 1/2 shallot
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 tablespoon capers
* 1/8 cup diced zucchini (rind portion)
* 1/8 cup diced red bell pepper
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
* 1/8 cup julienned tomato

1) in a hot skillet, melt butter. cook until nicely browned
2) add shallot and garlic. sauté about 1 minute
3) add capers, zucchini, and bell pepper. sauté until tender
4) add lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste
5) in a bowl, combine spaghetti squash and butter sauce (either pour sauce on top or toss together gently). top with tomatoes

this looks so much like actual pasta it's almost unbelievable. the squash itself is crunchier, softer, and sweeter than spaghetti. that's why i really appreciate the inclusion of capers in this butter sauce. they provide a tangy bite to offset that (very slight) sweetness. overall, it tasted wonderful. and i thought the colors were gorgeous.

Healthy Recipe Group

southwestern stuffed acorn squash

spaghetti squash with lemon and capers