Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

With the weather getting colder and more snowy evenings coming this way, I tend to want to stay at home for dinner and a enjoy a comfort food meal with a good glass of red wine.  But if I ate mac n' cheese, vegetable lasagna and pizza every night, I probably wouldn't be able to fit out of my house when it was time for me to leave.  Thus, incorporating a savory, filling meal into the dinner line-up that doesn't make me change too many pant sizes.

I've tried a few different versions of what to mix into quinoa to make it just right, and I (obviously) really enjoy it with the pumpkin seeds, almonds, and pomegranate seeds for the taste and the crunch.  The acorn squash is the treat to this meal and all you need to season it is a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Xo,
Laura


Ingredients:
Serves 4 (make with just one acorn squash and you will have some quinoa left over for lunch!)

• 2  acorn squash
• 1 pomegranate (1/2 cup pomegranate seeds)
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit 

~Cut acorn squash in half vertically

~Scoop out seeds in the middle to make a space for the quinoa 

~Drizzle squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

~Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lay squash on baking sheet, squash side down, skin facing out

~Bake squash for 35-45 minutes until soft

~While squash is baking, cook quinoa according to package directions (usually 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water and takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to cook)

~Once quinoa is cooked, mix in pumpkin seeds, almonds, and pomegranate seeds into the quinoa

~Remove squash from oven, allow to cool for five minutes before removing from baking sheet

~Scoop quinoa mixture into acorn squash and serve warm