Last month we lost Holly Clegg, a beloved food writer and Baton Rouge native. With an innate yearning to feed her family healthy meals, she rose to national recognition with her cookbooks, blogs, and appearances on shows such as The Today Show and Fox and Friends.
With cookbooks like Trim and Terrific Diabetic Cooking, Eating Well Through Cancer, and Eating Well to Fight Arthritis, there is no doubt Clegg’s recipes are geared toward healthy eating. Clegg herself struggled fighting cancer. If you attended our Self-Defense and Healthy Eating presentation in April, you know a wholesome diet is something we also value and want to share.
To honor Holly Clegg’s memory, we are starting a new series called “Recipe of the Month” with one of her holiday recipes: Stuffed Acorn Squash. In her own words,
“If you have never experienced acorn squash, don’t pass on this recipe–it’s outstanding. This fabulous dish requires some time to make, so prepare it the day before and refrigerate. Before serving, bake it in the oven at 350°F until heated through.”
Ingredients:
- 1 (6-ounce) package long grain and wild rice mix
- 3 (10- to 12-ounce) acorn squashes, cut into halves and seeded
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Makes 6 Servings
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare the rice according to the package directions, and set aside.
Arrange the squash halves cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Scoop out the squash pulp, carefully leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Place the pulp in a small bowl.
In a skillet, heat the margarine over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, squash pulp, lemon juice, and sage, mixing well and breaking up the squash pulp into smaller pieces. Stir in the cranberries, walnuts, and brown sugar. Divide the stuffing to fill the acorn squash shells. Place the shells on the baking sheet. (You may have to trim a bit off the bottom of some of the shells to help them stand upright.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories 271, Protein (g) 5, Carbohydrate (g) 49, Fat (g) 8, Calories from Fat (%) 24, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 471
Tried it? Share your pictures with us! Stay tuned for more awesome recipes and let us know what you think of our new blog series.
For more on healthy eating, check out our blog post on hydration.
