Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving table? Are you doing traditional Turkey and all the accompanying starchy foods? Or do you plan to make some changes in your meal choices because you've been adjusting your lifestyle to be healthier?

There are great options for yummy food–perfect for fall. I made this delicious recipe and it was all we had for dinner. Mmmmm! The fresh herbs make it really sing and it's so easy to prepare.

The recipe calls for red D'Anjou pear, but you can use any variety of pear. I used a Bartlett pear and it  was mmmm good. I think you could experiment with using other fruit. How does fuyu persimmon sound?  I must try that one. Persimmons are my favorite fall fruit—maybe my all time fav actually.

Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

from Costco Connection

yield 4-8 servings

category Main Course

cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

ingredients

2 Acorn Squash

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

1 C chopped pistachios

2 Tbsp diced pistachios

1 red D'Anjou pear, diced

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 springs of rosemary, finely chopped

10 leaves of mint, finely chopped

4 springs thyme, finely chopped

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice squash in half through stem and scoop out seeds.

2. Place squash cut side up on baking sheet. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 30-35 minutes, or until soft.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cup of chopped pistachios, pear, oil, maple syrup, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper.

4. Portion out the pear mixture to fill the squash halves and sprinkle with the diced pistachios.

5. Preheat broiler. Place the squash under broiler for about 3 minutes, until golden. Serve warm.

I plan on bringing this dish to the family Thanksgiving dinner at my brothers. I used to bring the Tofurky with vegan dressing for any vegans (which is usually just me and my hubby) at the feast. But since I stopped eating soy this year, I'm bringing only veggie options for my meal. No more fake turkey.

What changes have you made that will effect your Thanksgiving meal?