Kendra's Treats

On a whim, I picked up an acorn squash at Kroger. I had never eaten acorn squash before (although I suspected it tasted a lot like other squash varieties…and it did), and honestly I only bought it because it was so cute! =) Turns out, they’re delicious too! Especially when stuffed with ground turkey, spinach, goat cheese, and quinoa. But then again, I love anything with goat cheese ;). You could really use any cheese/vegetable/starch combo you wanted. I’m sure broccoli or kale would be delicious and if quinoa isn’t your thing, rice or couscous would work too. Make it your own and try something new! Jordan even liked this dish and he doesn’t really like spinach or dishes where everything is mixed together (casseroles, etc). Yay! =) The fact that this dish turned out so healthy was just an added bonus. Enjoy!

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash
1/2 pound extra lean ground turkey
9 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 oz goat cheese
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup chicken broth
salt
pepper
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out centers with a small spoon. Place cut side down onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
2. While squash is baking, prepare the filling. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. Drain any grease. Return to skillet and add spinach, goat cheese, minced onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper (to taste). Heat just until mixture is warm.
3. Combine quinoa and chicken broth in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the broth is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Fluff with fork and add to meat and spinach mixture.
4. Remove squash from oven and turn each half cut side up. Divide filling evenly between the two halves. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake about 10 minutes more or until cheese is melty and brown. Yield: 2 large servings.