Hello friends,
Who doesn’t love fall?
It’s my favorite time of year. I love the colors, the weather, and the food! Once there is a crisp chill in the air, I tend to make at least one dish per week that utilizes a type of squash. But hey, I’m still the first to admit that all squash varieties have their ups and downs. I don’t think anyone enjoys hacking one open, but if you point in the effort, it’s so, so worth it! Think about a warm, sweet, roasted butternut squash, or how about spaghetti squash with homemade pesto sauce? Yum.
Today, I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes for acorn squash. This squash is pretty versatile, yet often overlooked. It can taste very similar to potato or sweet potato depending on how it’s prepared. I often go sweet and use a little maple syrup to liven it up, but the recipe I am sharing today is for a savory dish. This week I made roasted acorn squash with brown rice, beans, and vegetables. I hope you enjoy it!
Cheers,
Jocelyn
Roasted Acorn Squash with Brown Rice, Beans, and Vegetables
***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back
Prep Time:
~15 minutes; Cook Time: ~30-45 minutes; Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients/ shopping list:
- 1 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 2 banana peppers, chopped
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can white or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- salt, to taste (fresh ground is best)
- pepper, to taste (fresh ground is best)
- 2 cups of cooked brown or wild rice
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450 F and begin cooking the brown or wild rice according to the package.
2. Cut the acorn squash in half and scrape the insides to remove all seeds.
3. Lightly coat the acorn squash halves with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on each half.
4. Place the acorn squash halves on a baking sheet face up and set a timer for 15 minutes.
5. Chop the red pepper, banana peppers, shallots, and onion.
6. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and sauté the veggies until they turn bright but still have a little crunch.
7. Mince the garlic, slice the sun dried tomatoes and add them to the sautéed vegetables.
8. Once the veggies are almost fully cooked (about 7 minutes), add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste.
9. Combine the drained can of beans with the vegetable mixture.
10. Once the rice is done cooking, fold the rice and bean/ vegetable mixture together.
11. Remove the acorn squash halves from the oven and fill each with a heaping portion of the been, vegetables, and rice mixture.
12. Return to the oven for another ~15-20 minutes, or until the squash is easily fork tender and the edges have browned.
12. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
12. Suggestions – Use Daiya mozzarella cheese as a tasty garnish.
Enjoy!
