Southwestern Stuffed Squash

Okay, here is my first recipe....this is pretty basic and easy for beginning cooks. The ingredients are also relatively simply to find. This is a really filling and warming meal and great for fall and winter, but also for the colder days of spring. Several things you will notice in my recipes are that I like to share the "whys" of a recipe and I include a lot of details.

This is my adaptation of a recipe that was shared with me by the office of Dr. Anne and Dr. Dave Stewart.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

* 3 acorn squash or squash of your choice (I like acorn squash, as they provide a
greater area to fill with the meat mixture)

* 1 pound ground turkey (I used one and a half 12 oz. packages of Organic Prairie)

* 1 large onion, finely chopped

* 3 cloves of garlic, minced or put through a garlic press

* 1 jar Drew's Organic Double Fire Roasted Salsa (this is key! I've tried other salsas, but this really adds the pizazz you need as there aren't many other spices in this recipe)

* 1 tablespoon ground cumin (I like to get the Frontier Organic brand from the bulk section of my natural foods store)

* 15 oz. can of Eden organic black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups of soaked and cooked per Nourishing Traditions) (Eden Organic beans are the only ones that don't have BPA in the can lining and have been soaked before cooking, which makes the beans easier to digest)

* 1 cup sharp cheddar, grated or thinly sliced

* sea salt

* a few tablespoons of coconut oil (I like Green Pastures) and olive oil (I like Bionaturae Organic Extra Virgin)

Cooking directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the rack in the middle position.

Wash squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and discard. Sprinkle some sea salt on the cut side of each squash and place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until tender (about 45 minutes).

Melt a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a large pan (prevents sticking in stainless steel cookware) over medium heat. Add turkey and cook, stirring and breaking up with a fork or spatula to make small pieces, until lightly browned.

In a separate skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat and add onions, stirring occasionally and cooking until caramelized. Stir in garlic and simmer a few minutes.

Stir onion and garlic mixture into turkey, add salsa, cumin and sea salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in black beans and simmer uncovered 10-12 minutes.

When squash is tender, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Fill each squash with the turkey mixture. Top with cheese. Place on baking sheet and bake until filling is heated through and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

My daughter, who is 2 1/2, enjoys this recipe also....with a slight modification: she eats her turkey mixture out of one bowl, and I scoop out the squash and mash it with butter in another bowl.