Quinoa-Filled Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 1 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• ¼ cup chopped prunes
• ¼ cup chopped raisins
• ¼ cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or to taste
• salt to taste
• ¼ cup chopped pecans

Step 1

Lightly heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut the acorn squash in half and place them cut-side down in a baking dish. Roast for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until they're tender when you poke them with a fork. Once done, flip them over so the cut side is up and let them cool enough to handle.

Step 2

While the squash is roasting, bring some water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Then stir in the prunes, raisins, apricots, garlic, and ginger. Keep cooking until the dried fruit plumps up and the quinoa is nice and tender, which should take another 5 minutes or so.

Step 3

Drizzle some olive oil over the quinoa mixture and season with salt to taste, giving everything a good stir. Carefully scoop out the flesh from the acorn squash halves and cut it into cubes. Gently mix the squash cubes into the quinoa mixture.

Step 4

Finally, spoon the filling back into the empty squash shells and sprinkle the tops with pecans. You're ready to enjoy a cozy, flavorful dish!