Cranberry Apple Acorn Squash

’Twas a cold and windy night when I turned on the oven to cook this acorn squash.

An hour or so later, the warmed kitchen was filled with the aroma of apple pie and this pastiche of fall colors was ready to eat!




Ingredients for 1 Squash:

1 large acorn squash (2 - 4 servings)
3/4 cup apple juice

Topping:

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 apple, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I used a Fuji)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons grass fed butter, melted (or coconut oil or grape seed oil)

Fine sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Wash and dry the acorn squash. Set the squash on a cutting board with the stem side on the bottom. Cut the squash in half vertically. Clean out the insides with a spoon.* 

2. Pour the apple juice in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the squash halves cut side down in the juice, and place in preheated oven.

3. While the squash is roasting, mix together the ingredients for the filling in a bowl. 

4. Remove the pan from the oven after 30 minutes, and turn the squash halves over. Add a pinch of salt to each half. Spoon in the filling, sprinkle with salt again, and return to the oven.

5. After another 30 minutes (1 hour total), check the squash. My squash took another 15 minutes (45 minutes total) until the color was golden and the flesh pulled apart with a fork. I turned off the oven and let it stay for another 15 minutes. To serve, cut into portions for a side dish, or serve one half per person. Be sure to stir the filling with the flesh of the squash to blend the delicious flavors together.


*Discard the stringy parts, and if desired, bake the seeds later at 200 degrees F until they are slightly browned, about 3/4 hour; sprinkle with salt.

#paleo #veggies #squash #glutenfree #healthyeating

Recipe adapted from Elana’s Pantry website.