Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 medium acorn squash

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 cloves garlic (minced) 1 shallot (minced)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups spinach

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cups microwaved whole grain rice

The juice and zest of 1 large orange

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

PREP THE SQUASH

1. Place the squash on its side, use a sharp kitchen knife, place it horizontally across the top of the squash and slice the top off about 3/4 inch below the stem. Then carefully place the knife horizontally in the center of the squash and slice it down the middle. You can cut the squash either vertically or horizontally down the center. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and scrape the inside to get it nice and clean.

ROAST THE SQUASH

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Brush each half of the squash with some of olive oil and sprinkle each generously with salt and pepper. Place the squash, face-side up onto the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, remove and let cool.

MAKE THE FILLING

1. Heat a skillet to medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add in the minced garlic, minced shallots, and sliced mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 minutes, tossing gently as it cooks until the veggies start to brown.
2. Add in the spinach and sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach is slightly wilted. Push the veggies to the side of the pan and pour in the chickpeas and chopped walnuts. Sprinkle the chickpeas with the spices (onion powder, cumin, chili powder) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss and let them cook for 2-3 minutes to get them nice and golden.
3. Add in the cooked wild rice, toss everything together and let cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and let it melt into the mixture. Pour in the orange juice and zest and toss. Add in the dried cranberries and let that all cook for 1 minute to get the cranberries slightly plump.

FILL AND BAKE THE SQUASH

1. Fill each squash with the filling, I like to ill them with a lot of filling. Store any remaining filling for another meal. Top each stuffed squash with more cheese if desired and bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 4-5 minutes to get the tops nice and golden brown.

SERVE

1. Serve warm and top with fresh herbs like sliced basil or parsley