Stuffed Butternut Squash
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1/2 cup cooked (red quinoa)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 of a red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 large handful of fresh spinach
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp harissa seasoning (or more to taste)
- Salt and pepper1 1/2 lbs cod fillets
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (sliced)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp table salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ¾ tsp ground paprika
- Few lemon slices
- Herbs (parsley or cilantro)
- Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
- Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and put both pieces on a lined baking sheet (cut side up).
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on its size) until fork tender.
- Finely dice onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat with a splash of water until slightly browned and fragrant.
- Prepare quinoa as suggested
- Add chickpeas, spinach (chopped), quinoa, lemon juice, pomegranate seeds, harissa seasoning, salt and pepper (to taste).
- When butternut squash is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool down a bit to scoop out some of the flesh (but just enough to have space for the filling).
- Stuff with the chickpea mix and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes or just enjoy as it is!
Add a drizzle of runny tahini on top! Use the remaining butternut for another recipe, like hummus, baked goods, cheese sauce, a smoothie, oatmeal etc. I always cook a full cup of quinoa instead of just the smaller amount necessary for a recipe and refrigerate the leftovers for another meal. Kale would also work well instead of spinach (or both)
