Stuffed acorn squash with quinoa and ground veal
- Preparation 35 min
- Cooking 1 h 15 min
- Servings 4 to 6
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍂 A weeknight meal
I make it on the weekend, and there’s enough left for lunches during the week. At Thanksgiving too: it’s good, and it looks great on the table.
🥛 Veal, for once
Veal, because it’s good once in a while. You can also use sausage.
🧠 A mix that came out of my head
I feel like I saw a recipe like this in a magazine a very long time ago. I made my own version, and that’s the one I’m giving you here.
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🔪 Cutting an acorn squash
A big, sharp knife. Or an ax, if you’re brave, but with an ax it often ends up cut all crooked.
The skin is edible.
🌾 Rinse the quinoa, and soak it
Rinse it well. And if you have the time, soak it first: it takes away that little side of quinoa that gives you gas. Everyone around you will thank you.
🍎 The apple and the walnuts
Cortland, or any other firm apple. The walnuts are not toasted.
🥗 If there’s leftover filling
Eat it with a salad, or toss it into pasta.
❄️ Freezing, reheating and lunches
Once they’re stuffed and fully cooked, the squash freezes, absolutely. To reheat, put them in a 350°F oven, covered, until hot. In the fridge, they keep 3 to 5 days, enough for the week’s lunches.
✅ What to serve with my stuffed acorn squash
One half is enough: it fills you up. Craving other squash dishes? There’s my fettuccine Alfredo with roasted acorn squash, my deconstructed squash and sausage lasagna, my spaghetti squash gratin and my stuffed bell peppers with vegetable rice and grilled BBQ chicken.
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Ingredients
- 3 small acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
- Olive oil
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) maple syrup
- 1 lb (450 g) lean ground veal
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 small Cortland apples (or another firm apple), peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 cup (250 ml) quinoa, well rinsed and drained
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) grated carrots
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) dried cranberries
- 1 cup (250 ml) feta cheese, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) finely chopped walnuts (but not too fine!)
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Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
- Place the squash halves on a large baking sheet, flesh side up. Drizzle the flesh with olive oil, followed by the maple syrup. Season generously with salt and pepper and put in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Turn off the oven and keep warm.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the ground veal followed by a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring. Break the meat into small pieces. Drain the fat and set the meat aside in a bowl.
- In the same saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onion and apples followed by a thin drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
- Add the quinoa, chicken broth, carrots and cranberries, then season with salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, bring to a boil and reduce to low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and there is no liquid left. Add a little liquid if it has all evaporated and the quinoa isn’t ready yet.
- Remove from the heat, add the veal and stir well. Cover and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the feta followed by the walnuts and stir. Fill the squash and serve right away!
Yes, the skin is edible.
Yes, as an adaptation: lentils or mushrooms instead of the veal.
Ground chicken or ground pork. You can also use sausage.
Yes, butternut or spaghetti squash work.
Yes, absolutely, once stuffed and fully cooked. To reheat, put it in a 350°F oven, covered, until hot.
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