Recipe courtesy of Nutiva

Start off your holidays with the very festive, Savory Stuffed Winter Squash. The flavorful combination of delicious vegetables will have all your guests asking for more while enjoying endless benefits of Nutiva Organic Milled Chia Seeds, Red Palm Oil and Organic Hempseed. The Milled Chia Seeds as well as the Hempseed are protein packed seed, full of omega 3s, antioxidants and fiber while the Red Palm Oil provides both Vitamin A and E.

4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3-6 Baked Winter Squash (such as acorn or carnival)
  • 2 tbsp Nutiva Organic Milled Chia Seed
  • 2 + 1/3 cups Water
  • 1 cup Kasha
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 2 tbsp Nutiva Organic Red Palm Oil
  • 2 cups Shiitake Mushrooms (fresh; stems removed and caps sliced)
  • 1 cup Leeks (coarsely chopped; can be substituted with onions)
  • 1 cup Celery (sliced)
  • 1 cup Red Bell Pepper (coarsely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp Thyme (fresh leaves; can be substituted with 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
  • 2 tsp Sage (fresh, coarsely chopped; can be substituted with 1 tsp dried sage)
  • 1/4 cup Nutiva Organic Hempseed

Instructions

  1. Place the milled chia seeds in a small bowl with 1/3 cup water; set aside and boil 2 cups water in a tea kettle.
  2. Heat and melt the red palm oil in a 9-inch heavy skillet. Add mushrooms, leeks, celery, red bell peppers, kasha, chia mixture, and sea salt, and sauté mixing occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the ingredients are fragrant, and well mixed. Turn off the heat.
  3. Add the boiling water, and bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Add and stir in the thyme and sage. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if desired.
  4. Let cool briefly, and serve stuffed into baked winter squashes such as acorn or carnival, garnished with hemp seeds.

Recipe by Leslie Cerier 

Published by WholeFoods Magazine Online, 8/14/14