ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BROWN RICE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash
• 350g lean Italian sausage
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp thyme leaves (fresh) 
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

You'll be roasting the acorn squash first, so cut it in half and scoop out all the stringy bits and the seeds from the core of the squash.

Since acorn squash have those beautiful rounded ridges on the outside you'll probably find it's difficult to get them to lie flat on the baking sheet with the inside of the squash facing up. To remedy this, use a large knife to slice off a little of the skin on the outside, creating a small flat surface on the underside of the squash. This works perfectly every time, and it will ensure the squash doesn't fall to one side while it's roasting or even worse, after it's been stuffed, spilling the contents all over the baking sheet.

Once the oven has preheated, place the squash halves on the baking sheet (inside facing up!) and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, cook your brown rice according to the package directions. You'll need about 1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice for this recipe.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the lean Italian sausage, making sure to remove the casingsso you'll end up with small chunks of meat. Once the sausage just begins to brown, add the diced onion, minced garlic and the chopped bell pepper and continue to saute until the sausage is cooked through the the vegetables are soft. 

Add the cooked rice and the fresh thyme leaves to the pan with the sausage mixture, stirring it around to let the rice absorb the flavours of the sausage and the vegetables.

Once the squash has roasted for 40 minutes, remove it from the oven. Divide the sausage and rice mixture in half and spoon it into each of the squash halves. Fill the squash halves until they're overflowing, and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over each half.

Return the squash to the oven after it's been stuffed and roast for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese browns slightly. The filling will settle into the squash, making it easier to slice and serve!

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 1 small spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Vegetables:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (12 ounce) package broccoli coleslaw mix
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cubed cooked chicken breasts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place spaghetti squash, cut-side up, on a baking sheet.
2. Bake in the preheated oven until squash is tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Shred squash meat using a fork and discard the peel.
3. Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chile-garlic sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk water and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth; add to broth mixture and continue boiling until sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; saute broccoli slaw, zucchini, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, and shredded spaghetti squash until tender, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and sauce to squash mixture; cook and stir until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Butternut Squash Fries

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash, halved and seeded
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut away the peel from the squash. Cut the squash into sticks like French fries. Arrange squash pieces on a baking sheet and season with salt.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, turning the fries over halfway through baking. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and become crispy.