Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Autumn begins tonight and I had to put the heat on today so let's go with this fall favourite ... stuffed acorn squash!

Ingredients:

1 small acorn squash

1 cup beef, vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup quinoa

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped bacon (2-3 slices of bacon)

 3 tbsps diced onion

2 tbsps diced celery

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste

3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

fresh basil to garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash in half through the stem and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until tender. Set aside. In a saucepan bring broth to a boil then add the quinoa and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel, then chop. Remove excess bacon fat from the pan and add onion and celery to the same skillet cooking for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, basil and smoked paprika. Stir together then add the cooked quinoa and bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the fresh chopped basil. Sprinkle the insides of the squash with salt and pepper then divide the filling between each half. If you have extra quinoa you can always fill a blanched bell pepper. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes then serve garnished with fresh basil. Serves 2

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