Acorn Squash with Flax and Goat Cheese Filling

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Flax and Goat Cheese

Cooking with Flax Seed

This is my first try cooking with flax seed.  I must say I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  Apparently flax is some kind of delicious super food so this recipe pleases my tummy AND my mind.

The word on the streets says flaxseed is full of omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, antioxidants and fiber.  However, in order for our bodies to get the most out of these fabulous little seeds, they need to be ground.  You can either purchase stone ground flax OR grind it yourself.  I took the second option and put my flaxseeds through a few pulses of my coffee-grinder turned spice-grinder.

To use my flax I thought, where better to hide these babies than in the plethora of squash that have recently invaded the gardens, grocery stores and local farmers markets like an angry swarm of bees?

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Flax and Goat Cheese

2 Acorn Squash

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1 cup chopped spinach

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp or one clove chopped garlic

1/2 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp dry oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup filler of cooked rice, couscous or quinoa

1 egg

5 tbsp olive, safflower, or peanut oil

*Optional topping - 1 tbsp parmesan cheese + 2 tbsp italian breadcrumbs*

To begin preheat oven to 400º and thoroughly wash the squash.

Cut the squash in half 'hot dog' style and scoop out the seeds.

Place the squash halves in a baking dish, cut side up, with 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of the pan.  Brush the top and inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake until the flesh is tender when prodded with a fork and remove from the oven.

--MEANWHILE--

Make the stuffing!

Start with the ground flax seed.  It should look like this:

Next add the spinach, chopped parsley, chopped onion, diced red bell pepper, crumbled feta cheese, chopped garlic, dry basil, dry oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and

1/4 tsp black pepper.

Mix up the ingredients and put the whole bowl into the microwave for 1 minute.

Mix again.

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

...It will smell amazing...

If the spinach has wilted and your ingredients look like this:

Then you are all set.  If not, then you may need to microwave it for one more minute to get the spinach fully wilted.

Mix in the filler.  I used couscous because that's what I had leftover in my fridge.  If you have cooked rice or cooked quinoa, those would also work just fine!

In a separate bowl whisk up one egg and 4 tbsp oil.  

Pour the oil and egg mixture over your stuffing and stir till combined.

Now you are ready to fill the squash!

*Optional topping - 1 tbsp parmesan cheese + 2 tbsp italian breadcrumbs*

This delicious topping gives the squash a nice crunch and lovely salty spiced flavor.  If you are dieting, then you may want to skip this step.

Make sure that the pan you are baking your squash in still has 1/4 inch of water in the bottom and return the pan to the oven.  Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the filling reaches 155º.

Enjoy!