More Squash

Here are a couple more squash recipes. This was the first acorn squash that I ever tried and then became a fan. It's so good. The second is for butternut squash. I like to serve it with some meatloaf or in place of potatoes.

Craisin Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients
3 medium acorn squash
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter
Directions
Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place squash cut side up in two 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes coated with cooking spray.
Combine the cherries, brown sugar, lemon peel, nutmeg and salt; spoon into squash halves. Sprinkle with lemon juice; dot each half with 1/2 tbls of butter.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until squash is tender.

Iserve them in the shell. 1 per person. If you have people like my dad that don't like to try new things, you can always scoop out the contents of each shell and mix well in a bowl. The first time I made these, my dad wouldn't try them. The second time, I put them in a bowl and he loved it. I guess it's all in the presentation for some people.
Next, Garlic Butternut Squash

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large butternut squash (3-1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the parsley, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add squash and toss to coat.
Transfer to an ungreased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 50-55 minutes or until squash is just tender. During the last 5 minutes, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Then serve and enjoy. Again I use this in place of another starch on the plate, such as potatoes or corn.

Fall Recipes

Wow! I can't believe we "just" started school, but hmmm, now it's already October 1st. Time is just flying by. I really Love this time of year. It gets a bit cooler after a long hot summer. And all the fall veggies are available. I love squash. And I've tried a few new recipes with acorn squash in the last couple of weeks. Here is one of my new favorites. I'll share more later. Enjoy!

SAUSAGE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
Ingredients
2 medium acorn squash
1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions
Cut squash in half; remove and discard seeds.
Crumble sausage into a large skillet; add onion. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, beat egg and milk; stir in the spinach, bread crumbs, cranberries and sausage mixture.
Turn squash cut side up. Stuff with sausage mixture. Bake in oven on 350 for 55 minutes.