Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A Texas to Mexico Paleo~Style Stuffed Squash





As our family prepares to head to South Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday where quiet relaxing vistas will keep us spellbound for a few days & give us all a certain spiritual nourishment. This fall I've been so enamored with the selection of winter squashes & pumpkins I've seen. I've seen more variety & colorful selection than ever. Not for the first time this season I have cooked with Carnival Squash. It is a mild, squash in the size range of an Acorn Squash.  I enjoy baking Carnival Squash with savory spices however many cooks bake these with a much sweeter result using winter spices such cloves, cinnamon & agave or honey. The colorful skin makes this a nice centerpiece till you are ready to use it regardless of how it is baked. My version of the stuffed squash gives a nod to the hunter-gatherer diet paying attention to exclude grains, legumes, dairy products, salt & refined sugar. *winter squash are:Fat-free and sodium-free, a three-fourths cup serving provides fiber, carbohydrates, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron and thirty calories. Darker colored squashes have the most beta carotene.  


Carnival Squash are a colorful winter squash sometimes labeled acorn squash.








 Creamy mild flesh of the squash makes a nice complement to the spicy chili sauce
Stuffed Carnival Squash with Mushroom & Red Chili Chicken


2 Carnival Squash, halved, seeded, rubbed with 1 tablespoon oil
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 lb lean chicken sausage (I found mine at Sprouts, remove casing if it has casing)
1/4 diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
*1/2 cup Red Chili Sauce made with Guajillo chilis see recipe link
Recipe here from previous blog post on *Lunch Box for One
2 tablespoon chopped flat leave parsley


Bake the 2 Carnival Squash cut into halves @ 375 for 25 minutes or till crispy golden around edge & flesh tests tender.  Set aside &  prepare Mushroom & Chicken stuffing. Saute onion & garlic in skillet till translucent, add the chicken sausage & ground chicken. Cook till chicken is no longer pink & slightly browned.  Add in mushrooms, cook till tender then add the Red Chili Sauce, mix, add parsley & remove from heat.  Spoon into Squash halves & return to 375 oven for 10 minutes till heated throughly.  Serve immediately.  Any leftover stuffing I serve alongside the filled squash halves.
Leftover Mushroom Red Chili Chicken Filling is good alone 

7 comments:

P.B. Lecron said...

MIAM-MIAM! yum-yum

Dee said...

Thank you, Patti. Happy Thanksgiving across the pond there.

Chef E said...

I used this squash in my pumpkin pies and breads. It is a very creamy squash indeed!

I do love it stuffed though.

Dee said...

Chef E~that would be a great squash for pies. Sounds wonderful. (I can't seem to comment on your blog these days??) Hope your Thanksgiving was great.

rick vancleave said...

that loos wonderful. thanks for sharing
http://texasfoodandtravel.blogspot.com/

Chef Fresco said...

What a fun, delicious entree! Looks amazing!

Dee said...

Rick Vancleave-Thank you for stopping by, I will check your blog out asap.
Chef Fresco-Thank you for your kind comments. I am always crazy about winter squash when they arrive here.