Healthy Cranberry Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
This meal may look fancy but it's actually really easy to prepare! It's got delicious fall/winter flavors and is super nutritious as well.
Ingredients
- 1 medium acorn squash
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ⅔ cups dry quinoa rinsed
- 1 ⅓ cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3-4 cups sliced mushrooms
- 3 cups chopped spinach packed
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
- Cut the squash in half so end up with top and bottom halves (you could cut it either way but this way looks better). Scoop out the insides completely but clean dry the seeds to use later. Rub the squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place facedown on the baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes until fork tender. Add in the seeds (rubbed in oil and the same spices) with 5 minutes left.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions, with broth instead of water.
- In a medium nonstick pan, heat the remaining olive oil on 75% heat. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until wilted, then the spinach. Turn off the heat and add in the quinoa, seasonings, cranberries, almonds, and roasted seeds.
- Stuff the quinoa back in the cooked squash (you'll probably have leftover filling). Top with cheese/nutritional yeast and parsley. Enjoy!