Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Turkey & Quinoa

Roasted winter squash turns into an edible bowl for turkey, quinoa, and veggies

This stuffed squash makes a super healthy and filling meal that's easy for a family dinner and special enough for guests. First, hollowed out squash halves get roasted in the oven to form edible "bowls" to place the filling. I chose a mixture of cooked quinoa, ground turkey, leeks, and spinach, but you could play around with different options. Make it vegetarian by omitting the turkey and bulking up the vegetables or play around with the different spices. Some melted cheese would be really nice on top, but I left it out for our cleanse week. To serve, all you need to do is transfer each squash to a plate and dig in with a fork and knife - it's a complete meal all on its own.

Note: If you can't find kabocha squash, try substituting it with acorn or even delicata varieties.


More Stuffed Vegetable Recipes:
- Turkey & Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Chicken & Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes
- Quinoa Stuffed Artichokes


Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Turkey & Quinoa:
Ingredients
- 1 kabocha squash
- 1 1/2 c. cooked quinoa
- 3/4 lb. ground turkey, preferably dark meat
- 2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
- 3 large handfuls of baby spinach
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- a large pinch of cayenne pepper
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and trim the bottoms so the two halves can rest upright like little bowls. Rub each halve with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast the squash for 35-40 minutes, or until the squash is very tender.
• Meanwhile, heat another 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
• Add in the ground turkey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up into pieces with the back of a wooden spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink.
• Scrape out the turkey and add another tbsp. olive oil to the pan. Add in the leeks and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add in the spinach and cook for another 30 seconds, or until wilted.
• Toss the leeks, spinach, turkey, quinoa, cumin, cayenne, and more salt and pepper together. Spoon the mixture into the cooked squash.
• Lower the oven to 350F.
• Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the top is crispy.

Serves two