meatless monday: stuffed acorn squash

image + recipe courtesy of a couple cooks

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Herbs

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 large acorn squash (about 2½ pounds each) or 4 small acorn squash
• 1½ cups quinoa (white, red, or mixed)
• 1 pound leeks (we used 2 medium leeks, about ½ pound each)
• ¼ cup fresh sage
• ¼ cup fresh thyme
• 3½ tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• ½ cup walnuts
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

What To Do

1. Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut each squash in half, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Drizzle ½ tablespoon olive oil over the cut side (or ¼ tablespoon over each if you use 4 smaller squash) and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Place the halves cut side down on a baking sheet, and roast for about 20 to 35 minutes, until slightly browned and easily pierced with a fork. (The time will be less for smaller squashes; test with a fork after 20 minutes; if the fork doesn’t go all the way through, cook a bit longer.)
2. Make the quinoa: Cook the quinoa following the instructions found at Master Recipe: Perfect Quinoa, using 1½ cups quinoa and 2¼ cups water. While the quinoa cooks, complete Step 2 and 3.
3. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop off the dark green stems of the leeks, then slice them in half length-wise. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then chop it into thin slices (resulting in half-moon shapes). There will be dirt in between each layer of the leeks, so when you’ve finished chopping them, rinse them thoroughly in a colander. Remove the leaves of the thyme, and chop the sage leaves. If not already chopped, roughly chop the walnuts (we usually place them in a bag or towel and hit them with the back of a spoon).
4. In a skillet, heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Add the leeks, and saute about 4 minutes, just before they begin to brown. While you saute the leeks, toast the walnuts – place them in a small skillet and toast over low heat, until slightly browned. (Make sure to watch so they don’t burn!)
5. When the quinoa is done, stir in the sauteed leeks. Then add the fresh sage, thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Taste, and add more salt or pepper to taste, as well as a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
6. When the squash are done, spoon quinoa generously into each half. Top with walnuts and serve immediately. 

Also, here are a few informative websites on veg living:

chooseveg.com

tryveg.com

goveg.com

5 vegan staples

 meatfree mondays

meatless mondays

why i heart pigs

Yay for our health, the environment, and the animals!  

 

Bisous. x