Mung Bean and Millet Stuffed Squash

One of my favorite things to do at new grocery stores and markets is to buy produce I haven’t seen before or don’t know how to use. This past weekend I stumbled upon a “pepper squash” and mung beans at a store. I loved my lunch at Copper Branch that used mung beans last week, so I decided to give those a whirl, and I had never heard of a pepper squash before. I was a little disappointed to find out that a pepper squash is just an acorn squash, but I decided not to let that get me down and mix the two in this epic stuffed squash! It’s Ayurvedically (is this a new word?) balanced, high in protein, super satisfying, and delicious af! This is how we made it:

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash

½ cup mung beans soaked overnight

½ cup millet

½ onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 mushrooms, chopped

Bunch of spinach, chopped

2 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

½ lemon

½ tsp salt

Few grinds of pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Directions:

Heat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut your squash in half and place face down on a greased baking sheet. Bake the squash for about 45 minutes or until tender.

In the meantime, heat a medium saucepan on medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions become soft, or about 5 minutes. Add your mushrooms and cook until they are soft, or a few minutes. Next, add your mung bean, millet, and vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add your spinach, pop a lid on it, and let it cook for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally. The stuffing is done when the liquid is absorbed and the beans are soft.

Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and pomegranate seeds. Don’t have pomegranate seeds? You could use dried cranberries or dates as well.

Get a big ole scoop of the filling in each squash half and serve in your fancy squash dish.