This was an experiment. We love squash and had made a version of this, but served over black rice with a combination of roasted acorn squash wedges, sweet potato, broccoli and brussel sprout leaves... all with the curried tahini dressing recipe below. We love the warm flavors of garlic, lemon, coriander, cumin and black pepper roasted with vegetables. It spans that Egyptian/Indian taste that we love so much (and the reason we love Maha's on Greenwood).
So, here is the recipe that I made this past Sunday. It makes 8 halves or 8 servings. My husband will attest that a half of a stuffed squash is more than enough food!
Ingredients
4 large, dark green acorn squash
2 cups quinoa
3 3/4 cups water
1 large pack of kale (or spinach, etc.)
2 cups green peas
1 small red onion
1 head garlic (for roasting)
Coriander
Cumin
Black pepper
2 bay leaves
EVOO
How-To
Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Wash, halve, and scoop out the seeds from the acorn squash. Place cut side down on baking sheet lined with parchment.
Remove excess paper and cut off the top of the head of garlic. Place top-down on a square of foil in a small pool of garlic. Gather into a "foil bundle" and place on baking sheet with the squash.
Bake until the edges are golden, the flesh is soft and the garlic smells caramelized but not overdone. It should be about 45min, but the garlic and your nose will be your timer.
In a very large pot, add EVOO and saute diced onions until translucent. Add spices generously and toast. When fragrant, add quinoa and stir to allow the grains to absorb the flavors. Add water and bay leaves and bring to a boil, then drop to low and place a lid on it.
In a non-stick pan, use a bit of EVOO and pepper and saute the kale until wilted. Let cool.
Remove squash from oven and turn right side up to cool. Remove quinoa from heat once all liquid is absorbed and stir in peas, and let cool - stirring occasionally. Remove all bay leaves. Open packet of roasted garlic and let cool, then squeeze out cloves into the remaining EVOO. Mash and set aside.
Once all elements are cool to the touch (but still warm), assembly can happen. Stir in a couple spoonfuls of garlic, plus all the kale into quinoa mixture. Spoon mixture into the acorn squash.
For lunch: let cool before packing. Tahini sauce should be packed separately as it is best served cold.
For dinner: reheat in the oven at 300F for 15min.
To serve: Drizzle tahini sauce with curry spices after plating.
