Joseph made dinner again tonight, and lo, it was GOOD. Just right for a gray wintry day...
Maple Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash (we got ours from our organic CSA--that's Community Supported Agriculture)
3/4 lb natural (nitrate/nitrite-free) pork sausage (Turkey sausage is for weenies.)
4 tsp Demerara cane sugar (I use Florida Crystals Natural.)
1/4 c real maple syrup (Do not use the fake stuff or you will die.) [Note from Kate: Don't believe him, J. tends to get passionate about cooking. You won't DIE, you'll just...ok, maybe you will...]
Preheat oven to 350.
Cut squash in half, remove pith & seeds and bake face down in a pan of water for about an hour – squash should be tender.
Fry up sausage so it’s crumbly - no big chunks.
Drain sausage, add maple syrup and mix well. Set aside until squash is done.
When squash is done, remove from pan and discard the water. Return squash to pan face up. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar in the hollow of each squash, spoon in one half of the sausage & maple mixture and sprinkle another tsp of sugar over the top of each.
(Note: I like hot sausage and Kate likes mild so I added about 1 tsp of crushed red pepper to my half of the mixture.) [I also added a wee bit of sea salt to mine...I love sweet/salty...]
Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
Serves two.
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Or four, if you have a salad or other vegetable with it...I'm SO FULL!
