Meatless Monday – Acorn Squash

I’m not sure why I never made Acorn Squash at home…My friend Marci suggested it to me the other day, and I thought I’ve got to try this. I looked around online for recipes, and they were all pretty much the same. I settled on Paula Deen’s version because frankly her stuff tastes amazing. I took Marci’s advice and sprinkled cocoa powder on top for a unique twist. Can I just tell you it’s the food of the gods!!! It reminds me of a decadent Fall dish contained in a beautiful little package. It’s the perfect balance of savory and sweet, and it was so easy – barely 5 to 8 minute prep and then an hour unsupervised in the oven. The top had a wonderful caramelized flavor. This could easily be made vegan using a butter substitute. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 Acorn Squash
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Himalayan pink salt and white pepper to taste
2 pinches of unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half.
3. Slice off a small piece of the bottom of each half, so that they sit level.
4. Scoop out seeds and pulp and discard.
5. Prick insides of squash all over with a fork.
6. In a medium sized bowl combine brown sugar, butter, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
7. Divide the butter mixture between the two halves, and using a spoon spread the mixture all over the inside and cut top of the squash.
8. Sprinkle a pinch of cocoa powder over each half.
9. Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet.
10. Bake for roughly 1 hour, or until fork tender.
11. Serve immediately with a spoon and dig in!
12. Enjoy!

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