Stuffed Acorn Squash with quinoa fillingSavory and satisfying, filled with bright autumn flavors. A terrific side or main dish, especially if you’re serving vegetarians or vegans for a fall feast.

This request came from Jennifer T. at Garden of Eden Organics (my CSA).
Stephanie, can you come up with some recipes to use persimmons? We are going to have a ton of them!

Persimmons are a firm-fleshed orange fruit that’s usually used for baking (see my Persimmon-Date bread recipe here). I loved the idea of taking these in a savory direction, using them as part of the filling for an acorn squash stuffing. This could also be used to stuff butternut squash. If you can’t find persimmons, apples or pears would be a nice alternative.

Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, low-sodium, migraine, reduced-sugar diets

Stuffed Acorn Squash with quinoa filling

Acorn squash with persimmon-quinoa filling

5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 acorn squash washed, ends trimmed, sliced in half across the middle,seeds set aside in water
  • 1/2 cup quinoa red (90 g), rinsed
  • 1 cup water (filtered or spring) or low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 persimmons small (100 g), cored and diced
  • 1/2 cup Swiss chard (65 g) chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts (sub pumpkin or sunflower seeds for migraine diet)
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella (shredded, vegan) parmesan (sub ricotta cheese for migraine diet)
  • 3 sage leaves (fresh) 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt (omit for low-sodium and migraine diet)
  • 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin (dried)
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F°(160C°). Place the squash cut-side down in an oiled baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes or until soft. Leave the oven on.
  • Rinse squash seeds clean. Bring to a boil in 1cup of filtered water, then simmer for 10 minutes. Drain.
  • Add drained quinoa to 1 cup liquid. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes on low. Turn off and let sit for at least 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
  • Mix quinoa, chard, persimmons, pumpkin seeds, cheese (if using), and spices in a large bowl.
  • Once the squash is cooked, scoop out most of the flesh leaving 1/2 inch inside. Be careful not to poke through the skin.
  • Mix the squash evenly into the filling, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Pack it into the squash halves and return them to the baking pan .
  • Put the rinsed squash seeds in one corner of the baking pan, adding a small amount of olive oil, some smoked paprika, and a tiny sprinkle of salt. Stir to coat the seeds, then spread into a single layer.
  • Bake for 30-45 minutes until the filling is hot.Top with the toasted squash seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

If you can’t find persimmons, use one firm pear. Swiss chard may also be labelled green chard. This filling does not pair well with butternut squash; be sure to use acorn or a small spaghetti squash. One of my recipe testers substituted fresh goat cheese for the ricotta and loved the result. If you have fresh sage, use 3 minced leaves in place of the dried sage. You can skip preparing the squash seeds, although most of my recipe  testers loved the texture they added to the finished dish.
Per serving:
  • 317 calories
  • 11 g fat
  • 1 g saturated fat
  • 2 g monounsaturated fat
  • 3 g polyunsaturated fat
  • 0 g trans fat
  • 0 g cholesterol
  • 437 mg sodium (156 mg sodium with salt omitted)
  • 698 mg potassium
  • 54 g carbohydrate
  • 12 g fiber
  • 12 g sugars
  • 7 g protein
  • 8 Weight Watchers Points Plus