Stuffed Acorn Squash w/ Rosemary Roasted Beets, Brussels & Pistachios! Gluten Free, Vegan, SCD & Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Are we surviving the Polar Vortex? 

It's hard to believe the temperatures here today. New York was FREEZING. We hit 4 degrees today, which broke the record low from 1896! Although, that was warm compared to some of the negative temps in the Midwest!

Stay warm and stay safe everyone!

Freezing cold temperatures only mean one thing: hot tea, pajamas, and Netflix marathons! That....and comfort food!!

It's funny, I'm sitting here watching the news (yes I'm a 20-something that actually watches the local news) and they just did a piece on eating comfort food to stay warm in this deep freeze. And their theme: CARBS. More specifically, gluten-filled carbs.

Well, my dear friends...two can play at THAT game! :)

May I present to you, comfort food -- "Happy Tummy" style!

Yep, this is an amazingly cozy dish that will warm you from the inside out. And the best part? IT'S GOOD FOR YOU! 

Yep, it's Gluten/Grain Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

It's actually what I made for Thanksgiving. (Sorry I'm JUUUST now getting around to posting it!!)

I made a Roasted Acorn Squash, stuffed with Rosemary Roasted Beets and Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms, Pistachios, and Apples.

In a word: Unbelievable.

Here’s what you need: (Serves 5-6)

3 acorn squash - halved
24 brussels sprouts – halved
4 beets, sliced in to ¼ inch rounds
1 box of mushrooms (about 18), sliced
1 apple, cubed
1 sprig of rosemary, minced
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
1 cup pistachios

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully slice your acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut-side-down on two tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheets. Bake for about 40 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, prep your veggies. Place your beets on two tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheets. Spritz with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

While you’re waiting for oven space, brown your brussels sprouts on the stove. In the largest pan you have, place your brussels sprouts cut-side-down in an even layer in 2 tsp EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp basil, and your fresh, minced rosemary. Let it sit over medium heat for about 7 minutes, allowing it to brown and caramelize. Then, flip and allow the other side to brown for about 5 more minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.

In the same pan, do the same thing with your sliced mushroom. Place them in a single layer in about 2 tsp EVOO. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Allow the one side to brown for about 5 minutes. Then, flip and allow the other side to cook for about 4 minutes.

With your apples, you can either roast them in the oven or sauté them in a frying pan on the stove. I used the oven, because I made this the night before. Place the apple cubes on a tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 2 hours in a 275 degree oven until they have significantly dried out.

To assemble, slice your brussels sprouts in half again (they should now be in quarters), and slice your beet rounds into matchsticks. Toss your beets, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, apples and pistachios together. Place a heaping mound of the filling inside the cavity of the acorn squash. Garnish with a few extra pistachios. Each person gets 1 acorn squash half.

Goodness gracious, you guys. This meal was outrageous. The taste, the texture, the appearance. Everything --- let’s start with the taste:

Acorn squash is so wonderful. It’s the sweetest of the winter squash. That sweet creaminess was complimented by the earthy sweet beets, nutty pistachios, super sweet apples, and earthy mushrooms. And then the subtle aroma of the rosemary, basil and oregano gave it a depth of flavor that was just out of control!

And the textures: wow. The creamy luxurious acorn squash provided the perfect backdrop for the chewy beets and mushrooms, the almost crunchy brussels sprouts (which had caramelized beautifully), the juicy-sweet apples, and the crunchy/salty pistachios. Mmmm.

Finally, it was truly beautiful. It was like a perfectly wrapped present of your plate. There were so many beautiful jewel-tone colors l- the deep purple, orange, green – so pretty!

Comfort food to get you through the Polar Vortex!! ((By the way, what even is a Polar Vortex?? What are we, in the latest sci-fi movie?!?))

Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!