Gingered Acorn Squash Recipes

GINGERY QUINOA-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the squash halves, cut-side up into a small baking dish, and bake until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. When done, stir in the butter until melted, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and celery; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the apple, and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger, cook 2 minutes more, then stir in the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• When the squash is tender, scoop out some of the flesh, leaving the halves 1/2 inch thick. Roughly chop the acorn squash, and combine with the quinoa and apple mixture. Spoon the mixture back into the squash shells, and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven, and bake until the cheese has melted and is bubbly, about 5 minutes.

HONEY SPICED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the honey, butter, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Cut squash in half; discard the seeds. Fill squash halves with butter mixture. , Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Cover and bake at 375° for 1 hour or until squash is tender. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly.,

APRICOT-GINGER ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut squash lengthwise in half; remove seeds. Cut a thin slice from bottoms to level if desired. Place in a greased 11x7-in. baking dish, cut side up., Mix remaining ingredients; spoon over squash. Bake, covered, 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until tender, 15-20 minutes.

GINGERED ACORN SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the acorn squash in half, crosswise.
• Scoop out seeds and discard.
• Place cut side down in 9 x13 baking pans (you will need two) and add about one inch of water.
• Bake for an hour.
• Remove from pans and set aside to cool.
• If the squash are rather small, it might take as many as five squash to make the required six pounds.
• Simply quarter some of the smaller squash to fit the baking pans.
• Warm the oil and crushed pepper in a five-quart saucepan, over medium-high heat for one minute.
• Add the garlic, onion, and ginger.
• Cook for three minutes, add potatoes and cook mixture, stirring frequently for five minutes or until the potatoes soften.
• Add boiling broth and reduce heat to medium low.
• Scoop cooked squash (about eight cups) into a large bowl and mash lightly before adding to the pot.
• Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove soup to food processor in batches, adding some soymilk to each batch.
• Return the purée to the soup pot.
• Place miso in a small bowl, add the sherry, and blend with a fork or small whisk.
• Add to the soup with the garlic, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Do not boil.
• (Soup may be thinned with additional broth.) Sprinkle with a light dusting of nutmeg.
• Enjoy!
• Yield: 8 servings.

PERFECT ROASTED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
• To prepare the squash, use a sharp chef's knife to slice through it from the tip to the stem. I find it easiest to pierce the squash in the center along a depression line, then cut through the tip, and finish by slicing through the top portion just next to the stem. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside, and discard those pieces.
• Place the squash halves cut side up on the parchment-lined pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the squash, and sprinkle with the salt. Rub the oil into the cut sides of the squash, then turn them over so the cut sides are against the pan.
• Bake until the squash flesh is very easily pierced through by a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your squash. Add any desired toppings, and serve warm.

GINGERED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Arrange squash halves cut side up in a shallow baking dish. Place one tablespoon of orange juice into each cavity. Sprinkle each one with ginger and nutmeg. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 60 to 90 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the squash is tender. Baking time will depend on the size of the squash. Remove from the oven, discard aluminum foil, and let the squash rest for 5 minutes before serving to let the juices settle.

GINGERED APPLE-ACORN SMOOTHIE

Steps:

• Wash the squash, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds. Place it, cut side down, in a dish with about 1/2 an inch of water and microwave it for about 10 minutes. Let it cool in the refrigerator.
• Peel the apple, core it, and chop it up into a blender.
• Scoop out the squash from the skin and place it into the blender.
• Add the apple juice and the ginger and puree.
• Pour and serve.