With Thanksgiving soon upon us, we are always looking for the perfect side dish recipe. It is the season for comfort and nothing does this better than grounding root vegetables.  Simply think of the fall mascot – a pumpkin – a phenomenal root veggie that provides lots of nutrition!  One of the most abundant nutrients in the acorn is vitamin C – an consistent consumption can elevate your white blood cells.  In addition acorn squash is high in fibre and potassium, making it a great veggie for blood pressure control.

Here is a great recipe that can be a whole meal or a side dish to a holiday meal…

Ingredients

2 medium acorn squash, 2 tablespoons olive  oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt,, ½ cup quinoa, rinsed, 1 cup water, ¼ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds), ¼ cup chopped green onion, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta

Here is what to do…

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in 1/2, scoop out the seeds and set aside for roasting (if you’d like – otherwise you can throw these away). Drizzle oil and sea salt over insides of the squash, then place them cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 35-45 min until soft. In the meantime, cook quinoa according to package and in a separate skillet toast pumpkin seeds. In a bowl, mix cooked quinoa, pumpkin seeds, onion, parsley, minced garlic, lemon juice, sat and 1 tbsp. oil. Add cheeses and lightly toss. Lastly, evenly fill the squash with the mixture and bake for 15-18 min.  Makes 4 servings – each servings is a 30/10/12