WIAW #47: Italian Ground Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

This first rule of blogging is not to mention/apologize for long absences from posting because it will only draw attention to it where your readers probably hadn’t noticed anyhow. Well, too bad.

It has been officially two weeks today since I posted which is very odd for me one, to take this long off (record is a week) and to miss a WIAW (maybe have missed three since starting. ) Well, after a too-long stint of just feeling crappy for the last week and a half, getting another part-time job, and having lots of work to accomplish as mid-terms came and slapped me across the face—so, blogging fell by the way side.

This is what I was eating for that whole time. But hey there are worst things to make/eat than homemade chicken soup when you are sick. Am I right?

I need to get my act together but I just feel like I’m in a blogging-rut lately. Maybe it’s just me and I’m just losing my touch if I ever had it in the first place.

So let’s get back to business shall we?



WIAW the reunion tour. Acorn Squash isn't spook but it is definitely Fall-themed.,,

Breakfast on the go

Banana

Later Breakfast at Work an Hour Later

 

 

Coffee and a Special K chocolatey peanut butter granola bar

Side Note: I won a couple boxes of these granola bars over the summer from a blog giveaway. After trying the chocolately flavor I wasn’t impressed (so Aaron ate them) I finally gave the unopened box of pb flavor a try frankly due to a lack of nothing else. I was actually surprised how much better it was. The peanut butter variety isn’t nearly as sweet as the chocolate flavor and still has 4 grams of both fiber and protein for just 110 calories. These worked in a bind and I was actually surprised how much I liked them.

Lunch

 

 

Leftover Italian stuffed acorn squash with ground turkey, yum!
Water water

Snack

Jonagold Apples slices and mug of tea

Dinner

 

 

 

Homemade curry red lentil mash, Indian chicken and mushroom sauté

(so good there was none left!)

arugula side salad with roasted squash seeds and cut Jonagold apple
Water

Dessert While Watching the Debate at our Friend’s House

 

Leftover raspberry chocolate ganache cake (ate half, two sweet so I washed it down with some of her Whole Foods Salted Caramel gelato—so missed treated)
Glass of Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin, because the presidential debates are no fun without it.

On to today’s featured recipe:

After going home last weekend for a very short Fall break I brought back more food than anything else. Peck of Jonagold Apples, three acorn squash, a spaghetti squash, two gallons of fresh apple cider, local tomatoes: a.k.a. loot. Along with a whole chicken, carcass bones for the soup, and other goodies from Momma’s pantry, we made a significant dent in our shopping for the next couple weeks on the cheap.

I was so excited to get acorn squash again after enjoying it roasted with homemade pesto drizzle and the roasted seeds for crunch on salads and soup. This time I was making Italian stuffed acorn squash. I love stuffed peppers my mom makes and after seeing just a photo of a fellow WIAWer I know don’t remember  who tried it out I knew I had to make my own. Unfortunately she (sorry don’t remember who) didn’t have recipe up so I had to improvised based on stuffed pepper experience.

Rice, ground turkey, stewed tomatoes, some herbs and seasoning, and some delicious local acorn squash later we had dinner with a side salad topped with craisins and the roasted seeds from the squash.

This squash is incredibly photogenic don't you agree?

I was surprised how good this actually was and very filling (you only need one squash half.) The squash is a little on the sweet side naturally so don’t be afraid to season (not necessarily salt) up your meat mixture. As Aaron says this was a great cold night meal, even if it wasn’t that cold…

Italian Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey:
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 medium-large acorn squash, cut in half evenly and seeded
½ lb. ground turkey (I use 93% fat)
½ cup uncooked long grain rice
1 can of Italian chopped stewed tomatoes
1 small egg
½ onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
1-2 tbsp. tomato paste, depending on preference (can also used reduced liquid
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. of worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
or 2 tsp. Italian herb mix if you have it
Black Pepper and Salt to preference
Optional: Garlic infused Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook rice on stove top according to packaging.
Work in batches if necessary, place acorn squash halves cut side down in a small baking dish with an inch of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile in large bowl mix ground turkey, the cooked rice, and all other ingredients (except garlic olive oil) together well. If the mixture is too soupy add more bread crumbs until mixture sticks together well.

In a large baking dish set cooked squash with cut side up forming a bowl. Spoon even amounts of the meat mixture into the four squash halves both into the hollow center and on top forming an “ice cream cone” of meat. Top each meat ball with a few pieces of the remaining stewed tomatoes to cover the top (6 or so pieces of tomato.)

Bake squash in the oven for 60 minutes or until meat is crispy on the outside and cooked thoroughly in the middle. (turkey meat must be cooked through!!) Drizzle with a little garlic olive oil and more black pepper.

Carefully serve the stuffed squash with a side salad and enjoy!

Love,

The College Cuisiner

Have you tried acorn or another type of winter squash in a unique way? What did you think?

p.s....

 Happy Food Day! Yay! Eat healthy people!!