Cheesy Stuffed Autumn Delicata Squash

Have you ever had Delicata squash? It's my absolute favorite. I especially love that it doesn't have it's rind removed. That's right, the skin is edible! It's super tender and chewy and utterly divine. As some of you may know, I have battled many a squash trying to remove the rind and anytime I can avoid that is a grand thing indeed. If you haven't tried delicata squash you best get yourself some. It's one of my favorite things about Fall! I know that sounds totally lame, but it's the truth, okay? This squash is so simple and so incredibly delicious. Todd told me it tasted like pizza. I didn't really pick that up but I'm pretty sure that anything with veggies and a cheesy flavor equals pizza to Todd. Sorry, sweetness.

This squash is roasted tender and stuffed with veggies and quinoa then topped with melty, cheesy goodness. What's better than that? Plus, it makes six squash halves which obviously equal six meals! I haven't tried it, but I'm willing to bet they would freeze pretty well too. Plus, I delight in the little stems sticking out! Is that weird? Apparently all sorts of people have been stuffing squash since the beginning of time but this was my first squash stuffing expedition and I have to say, it was pretty darn awesome. 

Cheesy Stuffed Autumn Delicata Squash

Inspired by Edible Perspective

Makes 6 squash halves

• 3 medium delicata squash (same size)
• 1 cup quinoa, dry
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 large carrot, diced small
• 1 red bell pepper, diced small
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 2-3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/2-1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup vegan cheese, for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash the squash well and cut in half, veggie dog style. Place face down on a baking sheet coated with a nonstick cooking spray and roast at 400 F for about 30 minutes. After the time is up, a knife should poke through the outside of the squash very easily. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. Leave the oven on. 

While the squash cooks, bring the quinoa (rinsed please!) and the water to a boil over high heat in a small saucepan. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes. After the time is up, ensure that all the water has evaporated, fluff with a fork and set aside for use later. 

While the quinoa cooks, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper. Saute for about 10 minutes, until the carrots begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute another few minute or until it becomes fragrant. Once the carrots have softened a bit, add in the quinoa and the remaining ingredients except for the cheese. Stir very well to combine and remove from heat.

Carefully flip the squash on their backs and scoop out the seeds only. In their place, add in the quinoa stuffing. Divide it evenly between the squash halves. Change your oven to broil. Top the squash halves with vegan cheese and place on the baking sheet on top of the highest rack in your oven to broil. Allow to broil for about 5 minutes or so, just enough so that the cheese has melted. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn by checking it frequently. 

Serve hot and garnished with little thyme leaves, because it's fun. Oh yum. That's what I'm talking about.

I'm jammin' out to Audra Mae – Little Red Wagon

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I'm Online In SELF Magazine!

Question. Did I almost die with excitement when SELF Magazine contacted me to have my Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Soup with Italian Sausage recipe featured? Yes. Am I overly excited about this? No. Absolutely not, this is too cool! I've been reading SELF with my two BFFs on quilts outside, in the Alaskan sun since I was ten years old!  Click on the image to go to the feature! Or you can see it on the SELF main page in the Superfood Stews slideshow.

Pretty thrilling stuff for a little blog like this! I was too buzzed not to share. 

And of course, I love the Alaska shout out. Heh heh.

Also, I'm sorry but this was way, way too crazy and horrendous not to share. You have to watch this video, BOLD Indeed: Beef Lowers Cholesterol? from Nutrition Facts. No wonder people are so confused about good nutrition! Gah. It's madness I tell you! Madness! Also, if the news about the recent Salmonella outbreak of Foster Farms chicken isn't enough to totally disgust you into not eating chicken, I feel bad for you son...I got 99 problems but eating infected chicken ain't one. Just one more reason to go vegan.

Kale and Red Potato Soup with Grain Sausage

Yikes, it's getting a little cray cray up here in Alaska! There's all sorts of wind and rain and just straight up craziness. I guess the weather experts are calling it a storm. Listening to the news, you'd think we'd better build a bomb shelter with all this talk of emergency preparedness. I'm sorry lady news anchor, but I'm not stalking up on two gallons of water per day for potential emergencies. I'm just not. Who has that kind of space? It's crazy. I have a water filter in my backpack and a lake that's a three minute walk from my house. Who doesn't have a water filter anyway?! People, that shit's important. I feel like having a way to source potable water is much more along the lines of good emergency preparedness than just having gallon jugs of water around.

What if it's the zombie apocalypse!? Are you really going to go running through the woods from zombies with gallons of water? No. However, our water filter weighs like 5 oz. and is about the size of my hand, so...also, it's already in my backpack! I guess the moral of this post is to go buy a water filter? I don't know. 

Whoa, no. This post is about this soup! Sorry, I guess I got a little off track there. Anyways, needless to say that today is just kind of a soup type of day. And what goes better with stormy weather than soup? Not much. Also, soup is kind of my main man when I don't feel like cooking. Hello beautiful.

This Kale and Red Potato Soup with Grain Sausage is so savory and delicious. There's something about a potato and sausage soup that just wraps you up in rustic comfort! It's perfect for these chilly stormy nights. 

Kale and Red Potato Soup with Grain Sausage

Inspired by Skinny Taste

Serves 6-8

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 (6 oz. total) vegan sausage links (I used Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Grain Sausage)
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, sliced thinly
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups water
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 4 medium red potatoes, unpeeled and diced
• 1 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• sprinkling of red pepper flakes
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1-2 bunches of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• fresh thyme, for garnish (optional)

--A Few Notes-- 

I like a lot of kale in my soup so I use two bunches, but feel free to use only one.  I like to split the liquid in half and use 5 cups water and 5 cups broth, but you can certainly use 10 cups of vegetable broth if you wish.

In a large soup pot, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil. Add the sausage links whole and allow them to brown for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside for later.

Add 1 tsp. more of olive oil and heat. Saute the diced onion and sliced carrots for about 5 minutes or until the onions have started to turn translucent. Now, add in the minced garlic and saute for a couple more minutes.

Slice the sausage now that it has cooled. Add in the remaining ingredients to the pot, including the sausage but not yet the kale. Bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, de-stem and chop the kale. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, covered. 

Now, uncover, add the chopped kale, and allow to cook over high heat for about 5 more minutes, or until the kale has reached your desired texture. 

I like mine to still have a little bit of sustenance but if you like to boil it into submission that's okay with me, if you like it that way. I have been accused of liking my kale a bit tough.

Serve hot and topped with fresh thyme!

I think this is a very appropriate song for today with regards to our windstorm, snowbird – The North Wind Doth Blow

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