Ok. I know I have some explaining to do.
I’m making a somewhat sheepish return to this blog with my tail between my legs; this newest post clouded by the undeniable fact that it has been LITERALLY MONTHS since my last post, which is not only unfair to those who actually read and like my blog (thank you!) but is also really sad because I’m letting the entire fall season virtually pass by without posting any of the great fall vegetable recipes that make this time of year a true delight.
I’m sorry. I have no excuse. You should know that I have still been cooking, so you will finally get to take part in that experience. I hope these next recipes will be at least marginally useful to you, even though fall is half over.
Some exciting news though! It was my birthday the other day, which means I’ve been blogging steadily (don’t say it) for about a year! I find this to be among my top accomplishments as a person, and to celebrate, I bestow upon you this quintessentially fall dish, which I owe to the wonderful people at Barker’s Farm in Stratham, NH for hooking me up with some of the coolest must-have squashes of the season (You know how I feel about squashes – **swoon**)
What You Need:
- Two medium or large carnival squashes (or four smaller ones if you’re feeding several people or prefer smaller portions) If you don’t have or can’t find a carnival squash, acorn squash is the most similar, and delicata would also be delicious.
- 2 medium or large apples, any type (I used Cortland) peeled and cut into apple pie-type chunks
- 1 tbsp butter, very soft or melted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 habanero or hot pepper of choice, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used goat cheese because that is what we had in the fridge)
What You Do:
Preheat oven to 400F
Cut the squash lengthwise from stem to bottom and scoop out the seeded insides.
Lightly brush the squash’s insides with butter, lay skin-side-down on a foil-covered baking sheet, and place in the oven to bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until it appears to be caramelizing and easily lets a fork through.
While the squash is baking, cook the quinoa.
While the quinoa is cooking, place the garlic, onion and hot pepper in a frying pan over low-medium heat with 1 tbsp oil.
When they become soft and translucent, add the apple pieces and stir until well-mixed.
Add the brown sugar and chili powder, salt and pepper and continue stirring until the apples become warm and juicy (but still maintain their shape and don’t get mushy) and are well-mixed with the sugar and spices.
Once the quinoa is cooked, add it to the apple mixture in spoonfuls to gauge how much you need to make a nice balanced mix of quinoa and apple mixture. I found 2 cups of quinoa was enough to create a decent amount for stuffing the squash.
When the squash has cooked, place them skin-side-down in a baking dish.
Gently scoop the apple and quinoa mixture into each squash.
Sprinkle your cheese of choice over the top of each (optional) and place back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. (If you choose not to use cheese you can skip this step. It’s plenty hot at this point!)
Pro Tip: Add shredded chicken instead of or in addition to the quinoa to make it a non-vegetarian dish. If you’re a fan of raisins (I’m not), sprinkle some into the apple mixture while it’s cooking to add a new texture and flavor.