Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 3 small acorn squash (5-6 inches in length) or sub other small winter squash.
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ———–
  • 1 cup Italian sausage- or sub vegan sausage, browned
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups peeled and finely diced parsnip (two medium-sized)
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 1 cup apple (like a gala), diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped sage
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Splash white wine (or sub-water)
  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 1/2 cup maple pecans (recipe below) or toasted pecans
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • fresh grated nutmeg (or ¼ teaspoon ground)

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 400F
  • Cut Acorn Squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a spoon ( or scoop after baking!).  Brush insides with a mix of 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and lay skin-side up on a greased, or parchment lined baking sheet, and roast in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes, until you can pierce through skin and flesh with a fork. Remove from the oven and using a metal spatula, turn over, trying to keep caramelized edges intact, and let cool. Place in a baking dish.
  • While squash is roasting in the oven, brown Italian sausage (or soy sausage), set aside and wipe out pan.
  • In the same pan, saute parsnips and onions in  olive oil, on medium heat, until tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Add apples, kale and sage, and saute 5 more minutes, until apples are tender. You may need to add a little more olive oil. Generously Salt and Pepper to taste.
  • Splash with a little white wine and add pecans. When wine has evaporated, add 1 T maple syrup. Add sausage back in and taste for salt, adding if necessary. Add a little fresh grated nutmeg or a pinch or two of ground. Fill the squash with the apple parsnip sausage mixture and place in a 350 F until heated through (about 15-20 minutes)