A Carnival of Squash!

I love, love, love, carnival squash, so I'm really excited we're getting in the Crop Share this week.  The taste is really no different from an acorn squash, but this squash is called carnival and it's all painted up in fun ways, so really it's a party on your plate.  Clearly, I'm easily amused.  So while you can use any of our stuffed squash recipes (Sausage & Apple Acorn Squash or Chorizo & Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash), another amazing way to prepare these types of squash is to slice them up into about inch thick slices and bake them with a buttery sweet glaze.  I love to use maple syrup, as it will caramelize a bit on the tops of the slices.  Basically you're turning that squash into pancakes, delicious, healthy, veggie pancakes!

Roasted Maple Carnival Squash 

Ingredients:

1 carnival squash, halved, seeded and sliced into 1" thick slices
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I use Earth Balance margarine for dairy-free)
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash of cinnamon (for a bit more savory flavor, mix up a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin to evenly sprinkle over the squash)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss squash slices in melted butter and arrange evenly in one single layer on a baking sheet.  Season with cinnamon or other spices, then drizzle maple syrup over the top of the squash.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until squash is soft.  If you really want to get some caramelization on the top, then turn the broiler onto high and broil the squash until it begins to bubble and brown a bit on the tops.  But keep an eye on it as it can quickly go from caramelized to incinerated.

Great as a side dish for roast poultry.

Chorizo & Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

The start of this Fall Crop Share round is my 1 year Crop Shareversary!  My very first visit to Nalls was last years Block Party, and that day I signed up for the Fall Crop Share.  So as of tomorrow, I will have been a Crop Share member for a whole year.  So to say Crop Share has been life-changing for me would be an understatement.  Granted, it won't get all of you your dream job and have you fulfill your childhood wish of working with a pig, but it will transform your eating habits, create new family traditions, and enhance your cooking skills.  So last year's Fall round was my first experience cooking and eating a lot of hard squash varieties, and this recipe for stuffed acorn squash was my first go round with this type of squash, and is perfect for your single-serve size squash like acorn and carnival.  There's just a touch of chorizo to help give this a bit more heartiness, and then the super protein and fiber from the quinoa and the antioxidants from the dried cranberries make this a hearty yet healthy rustic dish.  And the base recipe for baking up the squash is a great trick to use on most squash to soften up the flesh, especially if you're planning on scooping it out to chop or puree.

Chorizo & Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 acorn or carnival squash, halved and seeded

1/2 cup cooked quinoa (I'm going to try this with some wild rice instead, too!)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

3 oz chorizo, crumbled

1/8 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Coarse ground salt & pepper to taste

Cook quinoa or wild rice according to package directions and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place halved squash in a baking dish with about 1/4 inch of water.  To allow the squash to sit better in the pan, slice a small part off the ends to allow them to sit flat.  Cover with foil and bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes or until flesh is soft.

Meanwhile in a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic and onion and saute until translucent.  Add in crumbled chorizo and cook until slightly browned.  Stir in dried cranberries and parsley and season with salt & pepper to taste.  For an added zing you can also add a shake or to of red pepper flakes.  I've also chopped up kale or Swiss chard and sauteed it with the chorizo (as seen in the photo above), so this is a great way to use up some greens and sneak in some more veggies to this dish.

Stir quinoa or wild rice into the chorizo mixture and then stuff each squash half with the filling until mounded up.  Don't pack it in too tightly though.  Then place it back in the oven, uncovered for 8-10 minutes just to get a bit of browning on the top.

I served this with some baked carrot fries, which are as simple as peeling the carrot, slicing them into sticks, seasoning with garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, tossing with olive oil and baking at 400 until they are golden brown.  Carrot fries are my jam in the Fall & Winter.  Forget sweet potato fries, carrot fries are where it's at!

Carnival Squash Bread

Carnival squash can be cooked up the same way you would cook acorn squash. In case you run out of time to cooke them up, they also happen to make beautiful centerpieces. I have to say, I've never tried making bread with hard squash, but I'm very intrigued. It's a healthier alternative to most baked goods I like to partake in. 

Wet Ingredients:
3 cups shredded carnival squash
3 eggs beaten
1 - 1/4 cup sugar (added in after eggs are well beaten)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (added in after eggs and sugar are combined)
1/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup toasted traditional roll oats (not instant oats)
1/8 cup toasted flaxseed

Dry ingredients:
2 - 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
To view the rest of this recipe, please visit: http://www.sweatyguineapig.com/?p=1299