It’s that time of the year and acorn squash is back in season! This flavorful, sweet, buttery, yet nutty fruit is so versatile. Yes! It is a fruit, who knew? It’s considered a fruit, but it’s low in sugar and high in fiber, which is great for the gut microbiome. It can be used in many different dishes from soups to salads. It’s also full of Vitamin A, B, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin C, and fiber.
Farro actually has 3 grains: farro piccolo (einkorn), farro medio (emmer), and farro grande (spelt). It’s chewy and has a semi-sweet and nutty flavor. It’s great for many types of dishes such as soups to cereals. The semi-perlato variety in Italy cooks quickly (for 15-30 min) but needs to be rinsed before cooking. The whole grain variety has more nutrients, but it needs to be soaked overnight and then takes longer to cook, approximately 45 minutes to cook but is has more nutrients. The semi-perlato variety is the processed version and contains less bran or fiber.
The combination of farro with maple syrup, sautéed onion, and semi-tart flavor of the cranberries with vegetable broth will remind you of Fall! This is a healthy vegan acorn squash oven recipe, and the flavor of this dish will burst in your mouth. It will give you a satisfyingly chewy, nutty, sweetness that will satisfy your sweet tooth. I hope you are willing to try it for yourself!
Here’s the healthy baked Alluring Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe:
Ingredients –
1 Acorn Squash
1 cup Semi-Perlato Farro
3 1/4 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth (3 cups with farro, ¼ cup for sautéing)
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Apple, diced
4 Tbsps Dried Cranberries
¼ cup 100% Maple Syrup
Instructions –
1. Preheat the oven at 325F on convection roast.
2. Rinse the acorn squash, cut it in half, scoop out the center removing the seeds (discard the seeds or you can roast them), and then cut a small portion of the stem so the acorn squash halves can stand still upright with the flesh facing upwards so it looks like a bowl.
3. Use wax paper on a baking sheet, place the acorn squash halves on it, bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
4. While the acorn squash is baking, rinse and drain farro. Then, add the farro and 3 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth into a pot. Cook on medium heat for at least 20-25 minutes until the farro becomes soft.
5. Add 1/4 cup of low-sodium vegetable broth to a pan on medium heat. Once the broth begins to simmer, add your onion to it, and stir onion occasionally until onions are translucent or pearly white which takes at least 2-3 minutes.
6. Add apple and cranberries to the cooked onions.
7. Once farro is cooked, add it to your pan with cooked onion, apple, and cranberries. Cook on low heat. Stir and mix well, then add 1/4 cup of 100% Maple syrup.
8. Once done, remove acorn squash from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
9. Turn the acorn over so that the carved center is facing up.
10. Spoon in farro/apple/onion/cranberry mixture in the center of the acorn squash.
11. Serve warm and enjoy!
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