Monday, November 24, 2014

Harvest Stuffed Butternut Squash! GF, V, SCD & Paleo!

‘Twas the week of Thanksgiving and all ‘round the blogs,
The masses were hunting for pie and eggnog.
The posts were all hung on the pages with care
In hopes that their readers would enjoy them with flair!
The foodies were ready with pencils and pad
To jot down some recipes they were craving “real bad.”
When what to their wondering eyes did they find?
But a turkey-free main, of the Gluten Free kind!
With an ingredient list so wholesome and free,
They knew in a moment, “this dish is for me!”



We’ve arrived, friends! It’s officially Thanksgiving week!

Time for everyone to channel their inner Julia Child and whip up a meal that will be talked about for the next several family gatherings!




Thanksgiving has gotten, well, more complicated in the modern day.

With food allergies and preferences becoming more and more common, meal planning can be strategically challenging.




Well, I’m here to offer a vegan main that will rival even the best deep fried turkey.

In fact, this dish is Vegan, Grain and Gluten Free, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!




What is it? I call it my Harvest Stuffed Butternut Squash!

A roasted butternut squash, filled with a bountiful stuffing of fall flavors: pears, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and pistachios; all smothered in a peanut butter drizzle.




Salivating yet? Haha

Here’s what you need: (Serves 2)

1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise

Stuffing:
1 beet, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
1 pear, small dice
leaves of 4 Brussels sprouts
½ red onion, minced
handful of spinach
2 dozen pistachios

Drizzle:
1-2 Tbsp peanut butter (or almond butter)
3 Tbsp water
½ tsp honey (optional) (or a drop of stevia)




Preheat oven to 375. Cut the top and tail off your butternut squash. Carefully cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Brush with olive oil, and place cut-side-down on a tin foil-lined, olive oil - sprayed baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes, until tender.

On a separate tin foil-lined, olive oil-sprayed baking sheet, spread out your beets and carrots in an even layer. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until tender and beginning to caramelize.

Meanwhile, prep your Brussels sprouts by tearing the leaves off. You will be sautéing them.

In a large frying pan, sauté your onions in 1-2 Tbsp EVOO, salt and pepper. Let them cook for about 3 minutes, until soft. Then, add your Brussels sprouts leaves and spinach. Stir them around for about a minute until the Brussels sprouts leaves have become bright green. Immediately remove the contents of the pan from the heat and set aside. (You just flash-sautéed the leavesJ)

Chop your pear and make your dressing by combining the dressing ingredients. Add enough water until it becomes “drizzly.” Add honey to taste. I added one drop of stevia.

When your beets and carrots come out of the oven, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and toss with the pears and Brussels sprouts leaves, and pistachios.




To assemble: scoop a generous portion of the stuffing into the butternut squash cavity, and drizzle liberally with the peanut butter sauce. Garnish with pistachios.



Happy Tummies, beware: if you serve this, you will be the source of food envy from your turkey-gobbling dinner companions. Be prepared to give half of it away, because EVERYONE will want to try it :D




Why? BECAUSE IT’S FREAKING AWESOME!! Not only is it visually stunning with the purples and oranges and different hues of green, but it tastes SO. GOOD.




There is this subtle sweetness from the beets and the carrots and the butternut squash, which is complimented perfectly by the nutty and rich sauce. The Brussels sprouts provide a wonderfully savory note, while the pistachios give this pop of salty nuttiness. And the pears. OH, THE PEARS! Chiming in with this intensely sweet note that takes this dish to the next level.




And the textures! Oh my, oh my. The squash is creamy and soft, while the roasted veggies are chewy and beautifully caramelized. The pears provide an amazing juiciness, and the pistachios give this amazing crunch! Very satisfying :D




Alright, I could go on and on, but I think I’ll just let you experience it for yourself.




Do you have any vegetarians coming for dinner on Thanksgiving? If so, do you make a special dish or ask them to bring their own dish to share?

Alright, well I hope you all have a fantastic and joyful Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for each and every one of you. Cheesy, I know, but I am so grateful for the lovely friends I’ve met though this wonderful and wacky “blog world.” :)


Happy Cooking! And may the odds be ever in your favor! :D

58 comments:

  1. This looks yummy and healthy! Wonderful and creative recipe!

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    1. Thanks Mira! glad you stopped by! hope you're having a lovely night!

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  2. I wish I could reach in and enjoy this glorious baked butternut squash, which happens to be my favourite of all the winter squashes. Good job, Caralyn.
    Happy Holidays!
    Angie

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    1. Thank you so much Angie! It's my favorite too:) I hope your Thanksgiving prep is going swimmingly! thanks for stopping by! happy thanksgiving!

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  3. Oh my! You sure are not shy on awesome veggie / fruit medley! This looks fantastic. Eating this sounds like it will be a festival in the mouth, everything bursting with flavour. I like how you've combined pears into this. Yum! :)

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    1. haha thank you so much Lovlie! :D haha a festival it was! so glad you stopped by! enjoy your day!

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  4. This is such a creative and delectable recipe. I am quite in awe. Beautiful photos.
    Beautiful blog. Thank you for stopping by my blog. Fae.

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    1. Thank s so much! i really appreciate that, Fae. Glad you stopped by! Enjoy your afternoon!

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  5. This looks so great Caralyn! Again, I love that plate!! So hungry for veggies right now I can't even explain!

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    1. Thank you Tashiana!! haha - veggies are a good thing to crave:) thanks for popping in to say hey! have a wonderful day!

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  6. Happy thanksgiving!! I love the range of vegetables and colours used here! :D

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    1. Thannks Lorraine! Same to you! Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your afternoon!

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  7. I have been a veggie for yonks and it is so lovely to see people going to a real effort to make a fab meal for non meat-eaters.

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    1. Thank you so much:) Yeah, who says that veggies can't have a rockin' meal on turkey day too! hehe thanks for stopping by! have a great day!

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  8. That looks fabulous! I never would have thought of the PNB drizzle on there yum!

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    1. Thank you Deborah! hah I try to sneak PNB into everything i can:) thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

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  9. Butternut squash AND sprouts? Yes please!!!
    I am so happy to see more people posting recipes with sprouts in them, I love them.

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    1. Thanks Dannii!! I know, they fly under the radar a lot of the time, but brussels are one of my all time fave veggies! :D glad you stopped by! have a great morning!

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  10. Love this stuffed harvest squash. Lovely visual appeal. Trying to make more gluten-free recipes...because just like you said, so many people are going that route right now and it does complicate Thanksgiving =)

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    1. Thank you Laura! Yeah, it's kinda "trendy" right now hehe. glad you stopped by! hope you're having a wonderful morning!

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  11. Oh heavens, this looks SO wonderful! What an awesome addition to the Thanksgiving table!

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    1. Thank you so much Amy! I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving! Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. This Looks so yummy ....thank you for sahring <3


    www.theeche.com

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    1. thank you so much:) glad you liked it! thanks for your comment! have a great day!

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  13. I'm not a fan of turkey, or well, any traditional Thanksgiving foods, but this, I would devour this. I don't need anything to even go with it!

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    1. haha thanks Laura! thanks for stopping by! i hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, sans turkey :) hehe

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  14. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe! I can do this! I appreciate it so much. Also really enjoyed your poem! You are THE BEST! Happy Thanksgiving ~ Hugs

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    1. Haha, thank you so much! yeah i had some fun with that little stanza:) hehe glad you stopped by! happy thanksgiving!

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  15. This looks awesome! I will have to try this with the next butternut squash in our CSA delivery!

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    1. thank you so much Eva! oh lucky you to receive a CSA! thanks for stopping by! have a happy thanksgiving! :D

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  16. Great poem, love the stuffed squash, the flavors and the colors. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Thank you so much Cheri! I had fun with the poem:) Have a great afternoon! Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Kim Kardashian may have thought she broke the internet, but I think you just did.

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    1. hahaha oh my gosh that's hysterical!!! thanks Shen:) hope you're having a great night! thanks for stopping by:)

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  18. This is a fantastic and creative dish.. love it.. and my vegetarian friends are gonna love it too.. the peanut butter and honey drizzle is calling my name..Yumm!

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    1. thank you so much Arpita! yeah the drizzle was the best part:) thanks for stopping by! have a wonderful day!

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  19. Talk about a show-stopper holiday dish! The colors alone would have guests talking about it all year long. Absolutely beautiful.

    Hope you have a very Happy and Delicious Thanksgiving!

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    1. thank you so much Hannah! :) you too! have an awesome thanksgiving! glad you stopped by!

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  20. Love this recipe!! Wow, so creative and colorful and, like you said, a bountiful stuffing of fall flavors!! love it and wow, that peanut butter drizzle is amazing! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

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    1. thank you so much Alice! hah the PB drizzle was my favorite part:) thanks for stopping by! happy thanksgiving!!

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  21. Oh my, talk about a main dish - that looks incredible! Love the vibrant colors! :-)

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    1. Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving! Thanks for stopping by!

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    1. Thank you Tara! Glad you stopped by! Have a great day!

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  23. There are so many good for you things in this!! Amazing!!

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    1. Thank you so much Zainab! So glad you stopped by! Happy thanksgiving!

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  24. I love how this one meal has so much flavor packed in it by using simple everyday ingredients!!!!

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    1. Thank you so much Samina! Yep, nothing a little peanut butter can't spice up:) haha thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

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  25. I love your take on The Night Before Christmas. The food looks delicious. Happy Thanksgiving.

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    1. Thank you so much! You too:) I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving! Glad you stopped by!

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  26. I have...no words. This looks like absolute perfection.

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    1. Haha gosh thank you so much Brittany! You're too kind:) hehe glad you stopped by! Have a wonderful wonderful thanksgiving!

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  27. Yum - this stuffed butternut squash is SO festive - love it!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!! Have a great one :)

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    1. Thank you so much Ceara! Same to you! Glad you stopped by! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  28. I am the veggie in my house and I am always looking for inspiration and this is stunning I shall definitely be giving this a go looks and sounds wonderful!

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    1. Thank you so much Emma! I hope you love it! Glad you stopped by! Enjoy your evening!

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  29. Looks delicious! Love all those bright colors! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving :)

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    1. Thanks so much Denise! I appreciate that:) thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your thanksgiving weekend!

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Thanks for the comments! They make my day!