All stuffed and ready to go

This recipe was originally inspired by the twice baked potato with salmon, but basically the only ingredients that stuck were the potato and horseradish. When all was said and done, I have decided the potato was too much starch for this recipe, so I’ve removed it from the ingredients. This is great for a cool fall evening and the need for a warm, hearty (and healthy) meal.

Ingredients

• 3 tbs olive oil, divided into three 1 tbs portions
• 1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
• 3 leaves of curly kale or chard
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
• 4-6 sundried tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup water or broth
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 chicken breast, cut into small chunks
• 1/4 cup garlic horseradish dip (such as Robert Rothschild Farm’s Toasted Garlic Horseradish Dip)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

On a cookie sheet, place halved squash and coat the inside of each half with 1 tbs of olive oil. Bake for 45-50 min or until tender. Reduce heat to 400 degrees.

While squash is baking, place 1 tbs olive oil into a pan on medium heat, then add garlic and green pepper until fragrant (about 2 min). Add in kale, broccoli, water, and tomatoes and sauté for about 5 min. Remove vegetables and place in a separate bowl while preparing chicken.

Using the same pan, add remaining 1 tbs of olive oil and chicken, sauté until chicken is done 5-7 min, stirring frequently. Add vegetables in with the chicken and add the horseradish dip, mixing until the stuffing is evenly coated. Layer the bottoms of each squash half with some parmesan cheese, then scoop stuffing into the squash. Place back in the over for 10 more minutes, sprinkle remaining parmesan on top and enjoy! If you’re too anxious to start eating, you can bypass the last 10 minutes of oven time, but it does add a nice crunch to the top layer.