This is hearty, lovely for fall and winter, and feeds a crowd really cheaply. Make it vegetarian and lower in calories by eliminating the pork.
4 smallish to medium-sized acorn squash, halved, seeds removed
1 T olive oil
1 lb lean ground pork (or buy some lean pork loin and chop it into very small pieces yourself)
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 c cranberries, fresh or frozen
4 oz goat cheese crumbles
1 c cooked brown rice
Salt & pepper
Sage, fennel, whatever spices you like
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Arrange the squash halves cut side up on baking sheets. If they don't sit up nicely, make a thin slice off the back so they are stable. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until nearly cooked through; the squash should be about 20 minutes away from being fully cooked.
While squash is cooking, brown the pork in a nonstick pan with canola spray.
When pork is fully cooked through, combine with remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt, pepper, and any other spices you like. I used sage, fennel seeds, a little Chinese 5 spice, and I don't remember what else.
Remove squash from oven; fill cavities with pork mixture. Put them back in the oven for about 20 minutes. Serve 1 squash half per person.
8 servings
About 310 calories per serving
