Lentil and Red Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash

Fall is my favorite time of year. And as the blessing of summer ends, Autumn provides a retreat into the warmth of our homes and hearts.

And Autumn calls for comfort food - rich and wholesome.

Since our move, we've realized and been astonished about how amazing our neighbors are. Despite our difficulties with moving and the construction of the house, I've been blessed by the warmth of those surrounding us. I've mentioned my neighbor Pattie's salsa in a previous post. We recently met a new family down the block and one night I came home to find we were blessed with a basket of beautiful veggies from their garden - perfectly ripe pear tomatoes (which Witty Husband enjoyed), a few cucumbers, and two lovely acorn squash.

Witty Husbands words: "Wow. We have really nice neighbors."

Maybe not the most profound statement but well put, Witty Husband. Well put.

 And so I just had to blog a recipe with these delicious squash awaiting me in their wicker basket.

These squashes are stuffed with an herby savory mix of lentils and red walnuts. A little bit of applesauce adds sweetness and cuts down the need for extra oil. This Autumn-inspired dish is very filling and rich in nutrients!

Red walnuts and lentils are soaked for improved taste, easier digestion and better cooking. The red walnuts (pictured below) look dusty before soaking (soaking next to the lentils in middle picture) and have a silkier sheen afterwards (also pictured below).

Also I just wanted to thank my Mom for the wonderful treats she brought back from San Fran, including these beautiful red walnuts. I've played with them before in this Hibiscus and Red Walnut Lettuce Wraps (one of those deliciously different recipes).

Leeks are supposedly out of season but these were fresh from Granny's garden as is the sage.

Lentil and Red Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 cup lentils, small green
1 cup red walnuts (regular walnuts will work fine)
Handfuls of Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (preferably fresh but 2 tsp dried will work as well)
Leeks (few small) or half an onion
2 garlic cloves
2 acorn squash, halved
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (instead of a ton of olive oil + adds little sweetness)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional - adds a nice depth to the dish)
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup capers

1. Soak lentils and red walnuts 8 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain well.
2. Preheat oven to 450. Bake squash halves for 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil 4 cups of water on stovetop. Add rinsed lentils. Boil for 3 minutes then set aside.
4. Chop herbs, garlic, walnuts, and leek (or onion). Add this and drained lentils to a mixing bowl. Mix in a glug of olive oil, applesauce and vinegar.
5. Spoon into acorn squash, cover loosely with foil and bake 35-40 minutes.

Let cool and ENJOY!

I also love Fall because it's a great excuse to cuddle up in sweaters with a hot cup of tea and read a good book - I'm always looking for excuses to dive into a new book. Recently I read Haven by A.R. Ivanovich which was a very imaginative story and unique; I look forward to reading the sequels. However I have a whole different book on my current wish list Million Little Ways, A: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman whose blog home is this lovely little place.

Another Autumn recipe from last year:

Autumn Inspired Quinoa Waldorf Salad with Butternut Squash and Pecans

Cold Brown Rice and Garbanzo Bean Pesto Salad + Moving

My short Memoirs of Moving:

Moving can be ugly. A reminder of how much unnecessary stuff that's accumulated over the years. A reminder of how often you didn't clean the bathroom. Tears and growls of frustration over long hours and very little sleep.

But in this ugliness, there is this wonderful opportunity to purge, to start a new. A fresh start. And that's where moving can be a wonderful blessing. Struggling comes with an opportunity to lean evermore on God's grace and glory.

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So as I put my books on my bookshelves, hang clothes in our closet, art on our walls, and cook in my new kitchen, I thank the Lord for this blessing, whether our time here be short or long. There may be two dozen things wrong with our house but when God is in our lives and in our hearts there is nothing wrong with our home... our sweet, sweet home.

May God bless your home!

And before I continue on to the recipe, I must apologize, my dear sweetlings for my absence and the absence of my posts. We have moved (you might have guessed from my short blurb up there) and we have been internet-less for two weeks. I have a lot of recipes stashed which I hope I get to share with all of you very soon!

In the process of moving and the heat of summer, I've created several quick, easy and tasty salads with very few ingredients. Today I'm sharing with you a garbanzo bean and rice pesto salad. I made this and brought it with me to a multi-family garage sale to snack on. It was a hit alongside some iced Zhena's Gypsy Lemon Jasmine Tea (which my toddler also sold instead of lemonade at her little stand - she's an entrepreneur in the making). Also we were treated to my new neighbor's salsa which I must say was amazing! Maybe I can wrangle the recipe out of her eventually and share it with you all.

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I used my nettle basil pesto with basil from the farmer's market and dried nettle from Mountain Rose Herbs. This is a great time to make homemade pesto as basil is super fresh! It's a little late for fresh nettles but the dried, organic herb adds a nice earthy touch that pares nicely with brown rice in this salad. You can use any homemade pesto (be cautious of store-bought as it usually contains cheese).

Also if you have a lot of pesto leftover from making a batch, use an ice cube tray to freeze small serving sizes (I use these leftover from my endeavors in homemade baby food - love that they are bpa free and have lids!).

Brown Rice and Garbanzo Bean Salad
2 cups leftover cooked brown rice (preferably cooked with a little extra water so it doesn't dry out)
1 1/2 cup cooked and cooled garbanzo beans (= one 15 oz can drained and well-rinsed)
3 TB nettle basil pesto (or pesto of your choice)
3 TB olive oil
2 TB white balsamic vinegar (rice vinegar would work as well)
Sea Salt and Pepper

Chopped walnuts to top, optional

Directions: With a spoon, break down the large clumps of rice if any and mix with remaining ingredients. Refridgerate until time to eat. Enjoy!

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Great for picnics! Garage sale-ing! And moving!

Question of the Day: What are you bringing to on your picnics?  Last year we were really into bean dips like this vegan spinach and artichoke dip. But now this salad and a few others have been starring on the picnic menu.