Stuffed Squash with Hot Peppers

My new year's resolution is to cut back on eating meat.  More specifically, any meat or dairy my husband and I consume will be local.  The negative health affects of eating mass produced, force fed, chemical injected food are well documented.  This is my personal choice, and I am not sharing this to make anyone feel guilty about their own food choices.  Instead, I want my friends and family to know where I am coming from and to understand my food choices when we eat together.  I encourage you all to try, when possible, to substitute local meat, eggs, or milk for name brand products and feel good about helping your local economy.  It's not easy, and sometimes I feel like these people from the Portlandia TV show when I eat out. 

This dish is a perfect vegetarian option, it is packed with protein and cleansing veggies.  Alternatively, it can be made with bacon as shown in the picture (this is local bacon from the lovely Missoula, MT). 

It is GOOD. My 97-year-old grandpa (who most recently characterized my cooking as "eh" but ate it anyway) actually said this was "very tasty."  He had three servings. 

Stuffed Squash with Hot Peppers

A note on serving size: My husband and I made this with acorn squash and ate it as a one plate meal and had another meal of leftovers.  I made it in a spaghetti squash for my family and it served as a side dish for 7 with leftovers.  It tastes great as leftovers plain or in a wrap.

Ingredients

·         1 Winter Squash (acorn or spaghetti)

·         3 Jalapeños

·         2 Anaheim peppers

·         1-2 Serrano chilies (depending on how hot you want it, could leave these out)

·         1 Yellow Onion

·         1 Green Pepper

·         1-2 Roma Tomatoes

·         1 Cup Quinoa

·         1 Can Rinsed and Drained Black Beans

·         1 Cup Shredded Cheese

·         Handful of Cilantro to taste

·         Bacon, optional

·         1 Tbs Oil

Directions

1)      Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2)      Halve and seed squash, place cut side down in lightly greased pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes until soft.

3)      When the squash is about halfway cooked, start cooking the quinoa (I use my rice cooker, it is amazeballs easy), and dice and seed peppers, dice the rest of the vegetables (keeping the tomato and cilantro separate from the rest).

4)      Heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add peppers, chilies, and onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook about another 5 minutes.  Stir in cooked quinoa, black beans, cheese and cilantro. Remove from heat.

5)      When squash is soft, remove from oven and place on pan, cut side up. Stuff cavity with pepper quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired. Put back in the oven until warm, about 10 minutes.

(if adding bacon, stir cut up, crispy cooked bacon in with the mixture before placing it back the oven).