Quinoa Stuffed Squash

I have already shown you one stuffed squash recipe, sort of. That one was for Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash, back in September. When Sarah gave me a cute little festival squash from her Harmony Valley Farms CSA, I knew I had to do another stuffed squash because it was so darn cute - orange and yellow stripes - that it looks pretty on a plate as a serving vessel.

This time, I cooked up my usual red quinoa, added toasted hazelnuts and chopped craisins. A little scallion for color and crunch and some crumbled goat cheese also go well with these flavors. The final squash half was very filling (I couldn't even eat half of the squash half).

Beautiful!

Quinoa Stuffed Squash

1 small squash (I had a festival or carnival squash)

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1 handful toasted hazelnuts or other nut, chopped

1 handful chopped dried and sweetened cranberries

2 scallions, chopped

a hunk of goat cheese, crumbled

splash of balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Carefully cut squash in half, remove seeds and goop. Coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast - cut side down - in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until soft.

Mix quinoa, nuts, craisins, scallions, and goat cheese in a small bowl. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add mixture to center well of cooked squash and return to the oven to heat through. Top with a dusting of freshly grated parmesan cheese before serving.