Moroccan Chickpea-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Points

Total Time: 1 hr 5 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 50 min

Serves: 6

Easy

Here’s a super side dish with a Moroccan twist for roasted poultry, beef, pork, or lamb. The acorn squash is stuffed with a sautéed and spiced mix of onions and chickpeas that gets an added dose of sweetness and crunch, respectively, from raisins and sliced, toasted almonds. Acorn squash has a buttery texture and sweet, orange-yellow flesh. When selecting acorn squash, look for ones that are heavy for their size with firm skin that is free of blemishes or soft spots. To help prevent the squash from tipping over once filled, cut a small sliver off the round bottom of each half so it sits level on the pan. Garnish with fresh lemon zest, if desired.

Ingredients:

• 4 sprays of cooking spray
• 3 medium uncooked acorn squash
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium uncooked onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• ¾ tsp ground cumin, divided
• ½ tsp table salt, divided
• ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
• 15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup raisins, chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat the baking sheet with nonstick spray. Slice squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Arrange squash, cut-side down, on prepared pan, and bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic, 1⁄2 tsp cumin, 1⁄4 tsp salt, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chickpeas, raisins, and 1⁄4 cup water and cook, stirring, until chickpeas are heated through and raisins are soft, about 2 minutes.
4. Turn squash cut-side up and sprinkle with remaining 1⁄4 tsp cumin and 1⁄4 tsp salt.
5. Stir cilantro and lemon juice into chickpea stuffing and divide among squash halves. Sprinkle each with 1 tsp almonds. Serve hot.
6. Serving Size: 1-half Moroccan Chickpea-Stuffed Acorn Squash!
7.