This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my privacy policy for more information.

When the cooler weather starts appearing, that’s my cue to start making all the winter squash recipes. It’s a vegetable I never really ate as a kid but has truly become one of my favorites as an adult!

The next time you head out to the farmers market or grocery store, look for the names of these winter squash varieties…

• Acorn

• Butternut

• Delicata

• Honeynut

• Kabocha

• Red Kuri 

• Spaghetti

I’ve cooked/baked with them all and will be sharing different recipes throughout the fall/winter season. 

Here’s a recipe for my delicious honeynut squash and apple soup that you just need to try! https://www.cathleencrobons.com/recipe-posts/honeynut-squash-and-apple-soup

For this recipe, you’ll need two medium sized acorn squash. How do you know if your acorn squash is ripe, you ask?

Well, the acorn squash should be heavy for its size and have smooth, dull skin, with no soft spots. A good mix between green and orange coloring is also desired.

I like to bake my squashes in the oven (but yes you can microwave them too). The reason I like baking them in the oven is because the natural sugars have more time to distribute and they end up tasting so much better (in my opinion)!

While you're baking the squash it’s the perfect time to cook up the quinoa (if you don’t already have some prepped). This should only take 15 minutes. So you’ll still have time to quickly whip up the zesty, homemade marinade too!

If when reading over this recipe, you were wondering  what the heck “Garam Masala” is…You’re not alone! A friend recommended this spice to me awhile back (which consists of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, coriander and cumin.) I thought it would be delicious in this dish and I was correct!

You can find it in the spice section of most grocery stores.

After the quinoa is cooked, you can start adding in the raisins, pistachios, chickpeas, parsley, chives and mint. 

Stir in the marinade and then scoop mixture evenly into the halves of cooked acorn squash. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes or so to heat together.

This dish can be eaten by itself or pair it with a soup or protein of your choice!

Many Hugs,

Cathleen