Acorn Squash

Ok, so here it is my first post of the new year.

I decided to go ahead and try Acorn Squash both for the first time and for my first blog post.

Acorn squash is a fruit treated culinarily as a vegetable. It is native to the Americas and being a squash; is part of the three most important food staples of Native American Indians, the other two being beans and corn. There are a few variations on color however the most popular is mostly dark green with a spot of yellow.  1 cup of this squash cubed has 2 g fiber, 1g protein and 56 calories with the follwing percentages of vitamins 10% A & 26 % C.

Information I found can be located at: http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/acornsquashhist.htm
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2644/2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_squash


Below are the two recipes I created and tried.  I really liked the stuffed savory version the best.

Served Savory: Suffed Acorn Squash 2 acorn squash sliced lengthwise, seeds removed 1/3 lb each ground beef and pork 1/3 cup frozen diced onion and green pepper Sea salt/crushed black pepper Italian seasoning Olive oil Parmesean cheese 1 Steamer bag of brown rice heated per directions Slice off the back of the squash to roast them with the opening up, this way they lay flat and level.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and crushed pepper roaste at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While they are roasting I saute the peppers an onions in 1 tbs of olive oil, seasone with salt and pepper.  Once the veggies are warmed through and beginning to brown add the ground meats season  with salt and pepper and sauted till browned.  Once the meat mixture is cooked through add a sprinking of italian seasoning and parmesean cheese to taste and turn heat off. Once the squash are roasted mix the rice into the meat mixture then fill with heaping spoonfuls into openings.  Depending on the size of squash the mixture should fill all four with no mixture remaining.  Sprinkle each one with a bit more cheese then place back in the oven for 20-25 more minutes.  Serve warm and enjoy. Served Sweet: Brown sugar roasted Acorn Squash 1 Acorn Squash 3 tbsp butter melted 1 tbsp cinnamon sugar 1 tbsp brown sugar Slice squash lengthwise and core each half then cut each one in half and in half again.  Place slices on paper plate and cover with a damp paper towel.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Place slices on foiled baking sheet toss with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and brown sugar.  Roast at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. So that is it for my first post, check back next week and see what I try next.  I will try not to be so wordy next time and only try one recipe. :)