clean eating recipe: stuffed acorn squash

last new years i had THE BEST acorn squash filled with a sweet soup, it was so delicious that it intimidated me to cook with acorn squash, even though it was so so good! 

this week, i have been doing a 15 day cleanse eating only fruits and vegetables and saw this recipe and had to try it.

and let me just tell you, clean eating is not for sissies!  it is MUCH easier to make box food, clean up too.  sometimes i think it taste just as good too --- kidding.  we have a tiny kitchen and it seems like making one clean meal creates the biggest mess ever, thankfully i have a husband who will clean the kitchen.  and i can make. a mess.

acorn squash with stuffed portabella mushrooms and onions

makes two.

preheat the oven to 450.

total prep time 45 minutes.

cut the top off of your acorn squash and clean guts/seed out. discard.

brush with olive oil.

roast in preheated oven cut sides down for 30 minutes.

while the squash is roasting:

combine two garlic cloves, half of a small onion, and saute for five minutes or so.

combine cut up portabella mushroom

saute for ten more minutes, or until you think it's ready.

take squash out of the oven, flip.

split onion, mushroom mixture and fill each acorn squash

put back in the oven for ten more minutes

take out.

looks at the disaster your kitchen is...

shake your head,

wipe your brow,

put on a pretty plate,

take a picture and put on instagram,

EAT.

{add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste}

its what's for dinner.

with the help of knorr homestyle chicken stock, i created a dinner last night that was fit for a king.  well, i think it might have been had there been royalty there, but since it was just brad and i...brad said it was delicious.  and since william and kate were busy, i went my own prince charming {cough, cough gag...too much?}.  he approved.

except my creation needs a "i-have-to-eat-you" name...can you help a sister out?

here are the ingredients, if you want to skip the most interesting part (you wouldn't dare!)...

10 scallops (or you can use 8...i happened to buy ten yesterday) you could also use chicken and i think it would be quite delicious as well.
1 3.8 oz can of peas
1/2 3.8 oz can of black olives
1/2 c sundried tomatoes 
1 small can of artichoke hearts
small container of button mushrooms
1/2 of a small onion
2 cloves gaaaaalic (garlic)
2 knorr containers
olive oil
16 oz. bow tie pasta (cooked as on box)
salt to taste
four slices of bacon (very crunchy)
parmesean cheese

we start with the knorr homestlye chicken stock, this is the only thin needed to make this recipe a success (and for for a king), don't forget.  i had basil out to use, even salt and pepper, but ended up not using them.  and i am the queen of throwing in a little som'un som'un here and there.  but to my surprise, nothing else was needed to flavor besides this.  wow, magical.

my desired ingredients, except the basil...look at it sneaking it that picture.  sorry, dude---didn't need yo' spice.

 forgot the mushrooms in the picture.  i give you...mushrooms.  

 chicken stock. comes in little containers like so, very compact and non messy.  i like.

add one knorr chicken stock tub to the water for the bowtie pasta, just for a little extra kick.  i also added a sash of salt and just a olive oil.

 just wanted you to feel my pain.  are you crying too?  wipe your eyes, and keep reading.  dice your half onion in small slivers (or big if thats what you prefer) and also your garlic.

add all canned ingredients (drained of course), mushrooms, onion, garlic, and one knorr chicken stock and cook on medium heat for ten minutes.  then cover and let it simmer for twenty more.

simmer, simmer.  smell good, smell good.  while its simmering, put your water on to boil and add your noodles per package directions (and drop a knorr in there, don't forget).  my bowtie pasta said to cook twelve minutes, so thats just what we did. ummm, really thirteen because i was in the bedroom when the timer went off changing clothes and by the time i ran back to the kitchen and explained to brad the commotion, it was thirteen.  shew.  

we even broke out the fine china for tonights dinner.  this is the first time we have used them, because i have issues and like to save things and keep them knew.  i plan on saving all the other ones now and just using these two over and over and over again.  so sue me.

 hello cutest dishes in the world.  your jealous right?  be jealous.  or noooo, don't be jealous...i'll just have you over for dinner and we will break out the others.  i think i can.  i think i can.  

 oh look, the noodles are ready to be drained, why hello noodles...

please, i am not an overachiever.  bag salad.  uh huh...and it was limited edition so therefor it was mine... i am a sucker for all things limited edition.  the apple (sweet) in this salad made it perfect and light for our pasta pairing.

 again, while the main ingredients are simmering, cook the scallops on each side for four minutes.  

 pour the drained pasta back in the pot where you cooked it, and add simmered veggies.  stir.  oh my gracious...it smells good up in here...

throw your scallops and some already cooked bacon on top and sprinkle a little parmesean cheese and this is your end product.  and my, oh my...it was good.  and pretty.  and good.  and EASY.  yes, a lot of ingredients but the taste was TO DIE FOR...and i am never dramatic.  no not ever.

the over all cook time was 30 minutes total - 

and it would serve four really hungry people, or six normal people.

last night, it was two...and brad has lunch for the week...wife of the year...watch out!

try it, i promise you will like it.