Well, this was a yummy little thing to whip up on my first day of the staycation. So yummy, it will be dinner as well. According to the Noom app, 1 serving is about 350 calories. 1 half = 1 serving.
Just a few notes:
1) Roast the squash first. See below for directions.
2) If you are like me and not a fan of tomatoes because of the icky, squishy nasty, gross stuff in the middle, heirloom tomatoes have much less of it.
3) Fresh herbs are better, use more than what is listed. I was too lazy to go to the store. (Okay, I wasn’t going to get out my pajamas.)
1 Acorn Squash halved and roasted
4 oz ground lamb
1/4 c brown rice
1 small tomato diced
1/2 shallot diced
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs feta cheese
1 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
Now, you need to cut the ends off the squash. Acorn squash is very hard, so be careful. You just want to shave off enough so the squash can stand up on either end. Then slice the squash in half. I covered a knife with a dishcloth and pushed through. It wasn’t quite halves….but the object isn’t perfection, it is delicious. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff. Puncture the skin three or four times on each half. Oil the inside of the squash with some olive oil. (I have a nifty hand-pump aerosol container I keep filled with olive oil. I use less and get an upper body workout.) Salt and pepper the inside. Place flesh side down on a cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, flip the squash over and roast for another 20 minutes until the flesh is soft. Remove from the squash from the oven. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
While the squash is roasting, start the brown rice. Cook according to directions. (Keep an eye on it, because when cooking such a small amount, it cooks fast.)
I prep the veggies next, so dice the shallot and tomato, then crush the garlic. Then season the lamb with salt and pepper and brown it on medium heat. (You can use any protein, but if you are using a very lean meat, you will need to add some olive oil.) Add the shallot and garlic. Cook until the shallot is starting to soften. Next, add the tomato, rosemary, and thyme. Cook until the tomato softens and releases juices. Finally, add the brown rice. Mix together.
When the squash is done, fill the squash halves with the filling. Top with feta cheese and put it back into the oven. Bake the filled squash for 10 minutes.
