Autumn Spiced Acorn Squash
11.07.12
Hi friends! I’m currently in SCOTLAND (holy crap – pinch me) at a press junket with Disney. To hold the fort down while I take archery lessons (feel free to hate me a little), my amazing friend Lisa is going to share a recipe for autumn spiced acorn squash with you, which I think would make the perfect Thanksgiving side dish! Another thing I love about Lisa; she lives in the same area I do and I can’t wait until life slows down a bit so we can meet up!

Hi, Realistic Nutritionist readers! I’m Lisa and I usually blog at The Splattered Apron where I share my adventures with food and fitness. I am so excited to be guest posting for Claire today with a delicious autumn inspired squash recipe!

As a working mama, getting a nutritious meal on the table every night of the week can be a challenge. Rather than turn to processed and packaged meals, I try to maximize the flavor of fresh foods with a short amount of cooking time whenever I can. Squash doesn’t typically lend itself to quick cooking times, but when sliced thin or diced, it can cook in less than 30 minutes. In the fall, I really can’t get enough of all types of squash: pumpkin, butternut, spaghetti, acorn and I know there are several others that I still haven’t tried! At any given time there will be at least 3 different squash in our fruit bowl through the fall and winter. So one Friday night as I was making chicken and veal saltimbocca, the acorn squash caught my eye. I was craving a side dish full of the warm flavors of fall, so I grabbed maple syrup, sage, cinnamon and nutmeg. Baked for 15 minutes and then devoured quickly. We are big fans of this dish!

This recipe came about as a side dish, but I think it would be a delicious vegetarian meal alongside some grains. Enjoy!
Autumn Spiced Acorn Squash
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teasppons minced sage
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- Cut an acorn squash in half, then clean out the seeds. Slice each half into 1/4 inch slices.
- In a bowl, melt the coconut oil until it is just in liquid form. Whisk in the maple syrup then toss the slices of acorn squash in the oil and syrup mixture to coat.
- Lay the squash in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sage {more generously with the cinnamon than what is portrayed in the photos above. Trust me.).
- Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Claire

Categories:Recipes, Vegetarian
Tags:autumn recipes, squash recipes, thanksgiving recipes, thanksgiving side dish recipes
Tags:autumn recipes, squash recipes, thanksgiving recipes, thanksgiving side dish recipes
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