Sweet and Spicy Stuffed Winter Squash

Sweet and savory, a combination of the food god’s!  I love biting into a dish that has both of these flavors.  It feels satisfying and sinful.  There is nothing sinful about this Sweet and Spicy Stuffed Winter Squash recipe. It has all that #anticancer goodness nestled into an edible bowl!  Did I mention easy peasy as well.  Impress them at the dinner table with this gorgeous treat this fall.

Winter Squash School

Read on to find some fun facts about winter squashes and why they are not just for decorating the dining table! 

• Winter squashes are great when paired with savory flavors and meats. They go great with grass fed beef, lamb and yes even pork (I don’t eat pork)
• They are incredibly versatile, you can roast, steam, boil or sauté them.  Roasting is the most popular and I have to agree they taste great when roasted.
• Great source of beta-carotene which is transformed into Vitamin A in the body.  Cancer hates vitamin A and your body loves it! 
• Affordable organic!  Winter squashes are so cheap!  You can get them for under $2 a whole squash at farmers markets.
• Store them in cool dark spaces until you are ready to use them.  They are hardy and can last for weeks when stored properly.
• Buy winter squash that have deep dark colors, no soft spots and no mold around the stem.
• There are many varieties including carnival squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet dumpling and more!

Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors stuffed into squashes and be sure to check out the recipe below, Sweet and Spicy Stuffed Winter Squash for a head start on your new adventures in winter squash land! 

Sweet and Spicy Stuffed Winter Squash 

1 carnival squash, seeded

For the filling:

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 clove garlic minced

¼ cup dried cranberry

squash flesh, grated (what you scoop out to make room for the filling)

2 tps fresh thyme

sea salt flakes, to taste

black pepper, to taste (I like a lot!)

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

chili flakes, to taste

2 TBSP olive oil for cooking

Garnish:

fresh thyme sprigs

olive oil

sunflower seeds

Preheat your oven to about 375 degrees and line a baking dish with parchment. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Also scoop out some of the flesh to make room for the filling. Grate or mince the pumpkin flesh. Combine all the filling ingredients into a bowl and mix. Fill squash halves, pressing the filling into squash. Move each half to the baking dish making sure they are stable and will not roll around. Drizzle 2 TBSP of olive oil over top, add more black pepper and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until the squash is tender, 35-40 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme, sunflower seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. I like a bit of fresh parmesan grated on top.