Stuffed-with-Goodness Butter Baby Squash

Adapted from Loving It Vegan

So many veggies as we approach fall THIS WEEK. Butternut squash is about as fall as it gets, aside from picking pumpkins and bobbing for apples. Why not stuff the squash with other goodness like veggies and quinoa? And why not try it with your butter baby squash in your box? You really can't go wrong with all these real ingredients cooked up into a cozy cucurbita meal. 

INGREDIENTS

Roasted Butternut Squash:

• 3-4 Butter Baby (from your box!) or 2 large Butternut Squash

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Or try this spicy one!)

• ½ teaspoon Oregano

• ¼ teaspoon Dried Basil

• 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper

Serving (Optional): 

• Cashew Cream (Blend 1 cup Raw Cashews, 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice, ½ cup Water, and ½ tsp salt in blender)

• Fresh Cilantro Chopped

• Fresh Lemon Wedges

Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce or Tamari if gluten-free

• 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Quinoa Filling:

• ½ cup Quinoa Dry Weight

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

• 2 Cloves Garlic Crushed

• 1 cup Mushrooms Sliced

• 3 Medium Italian Frying Peppers, Chopped

• ½ cup Pecan Nuts Chopped

• 12 Cherry Tomatoes or 2 Heirloom Tomatoes Sliced

• ¼ cup Green Onions Chopped

• 2 cups Baby Spinach or Kale Chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Roasted Butternut Squash:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

• Cut the ends off both sides of the squash so that you have a flat surface on either end. Then stand the butternut squash on your cutting board, with the bottom half flat on the board. Carefully cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.

• Scrape the tops of the butternut squash with a fork and then brush on olive oil.

• Sprinkle oregano, dried basil, sea salt and ground black pepper over the top of the butternut squash halves.

• Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until tender all the way through when pierced with a fork.

  Quinoa Filling:

• While the butternut squash is roasting, cook your quinoa according to package instructions or as per your preferred method. Our favorite method for cooking quinoa is to place ½ cup quinoa and 1 cup water into a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (~15 mins). Once cooked, fluff with a fork.

• Heat a pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, crushed garlic, sliced mushrooms and chopped red and yellow bell peppers and sauté until the veggies are softened.

• Add chopped pecans, sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped green onions and sauté for a few minutes until well combined.

• Add chopped baby spinach and stir in until just wilted. Remove from heat.

• Add soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free), maple syrup, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic powder to a measuring jug and whisk together.

• Add cooked quinoa to a mixing bowl along with the cooked veggies, pour over the sauce and toss together.

  Assembling:

• When the butternut squash is cooked and fork tender, remove from the oven and stuff it with the quinoa filling. There is no need to remove any of the cooked butternut flesh to make space for the filling. Add quinoa filling to the hollow part of the butternut squash but then also just pile it on top all the way down the 'neck' of the squash.

• Return to the oven to bake for a final 10 minutes.

• Serve with a drizzle of cashew cream, chopped cilantro and lemon wedges.

• Serve with spelt or gluten-free rolls, and some arugula salad!