Stuffed Acorn Squash

It’s a new year, so of course everyone is trying to eat healthier, including me, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have delicious food. Gluten free, seasonal veggies and grass fed beef, topped with a little cheese and fresh herbs, yes please.

For the beef:

•  1 pound grass fed ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (save a little bit to garnish)
• 1 cup of organic tomato sauce
• 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add, garlic, parsley, and meat; season with salt and pepper and cook through for about 5-8 minutes. Lower the heat, add the tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes.

For the acorn squash:

• 2 acorn squash
• 1 tbs butter
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . Cut the squash in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds.  Place both halves in a baking pan, flesh side up, and pour hot water into the pan to reach about halfway up the squash. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to the center of each squash and season with salt and pepper. Loosely cover the pan with foil. Bake the squash until tender when pierced with a fork about 45 minutes.

Once cooked, I filled the acorn squash halves with a couple spoonfuls of leftover rice I had on hand to make it a little more filling, added a healthy portion of the ground beef and topped it with shredded cheese, chopped parsley and broiled them for 2 minutes. A perfect little meal all in one lovely little natural bowl. Enjoy!