It is often times a vegetarian is over looked at the Thanksgiving table when it comes to a main dish. In the past when I was fully vegetarian, my meal consisted of a plate full of vegetarian sides, which in all honesty was fine for me. Mashed potatoes, candied yams, green beans, and corn bread back in the day, was fine by me. However there were times I wanted something special as a holiday main dish.

I developed this dish over the last few months while I was on a 45 days cleanse, I wanted something healthy, delicious and filling. This main dish fits the bill. I love poblano chilis and when you roast them over a flame, the taste becomes more complex, smoky and a little bit bitter. I included the acorn squash last week in my winter squash round up , it truly is one of my favorite squashes. The skin is edible and the flesh is soft in texture and it has a nutty taste. I pre-roast the squash and then later fill it with a hearty quinoa filling which includes, toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries and my surprise ingredient which is a blend of nutritional yeast flakes, nuts and salt which adds a little bit of umami flair. The poblano cream sauce is, yes you better believe, absolutely dairy free but oh so creamy from the soaked almonds. I like roasting the poblano chilis myself on the stove and I include instructions below but you can find canned and jarred roasted poblanos on Instacart and other vendors online.  I use a Japanese vinegar called Umeboshi made from pickled plums and it adds just enough sweet and acid qualities to the poblano cream. It is a wonderful acid/alkaline balancing vinegar and versatile that you can add to many dishes. I love this dish and believe it will make every vegetarian and vegan at the table grateful for it. My husband and friends love these and I hope you enjoy them too.  As always, this dish is gluten-free and refined sugar-free as well.

4 servings/ prep time 20 minutes/ cook time 50 minutes

Gather

2 acorn squash

1/2 cup/ 64 grams quinoa

1/4 cup/32 grams toasted pine nuts 

5 scallions, white parts and 1/3 of the green part

3 tablespoons / 42.52 grams flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup/32 grams cranberries, roughly chopped

1/4 cup/32 grams raw pine nuts 

1/4 cup/32 grams nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 teaspoon / 2.84 g salt plus more to taste

2 tablespoons / 29.57 ml olive oil

| Poblano Cream Sauce |

Makes about 4 cups/ 946 ml 

4 roasted poblano chilis (see instructions below if making at home)

1 cup / 128 g almonds, soaked in water 4 hours to over night, discard the water after soaking

2 cups / 473 ml water 

3 teaspoon / 14.79 ml Umeboshi plum vinegar

1 teaspoon / 5.69 g salt 

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Pepper to taste

Make

| The acorn squash |

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/ 204 degrees C

Cut the acorn in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. 

Spray baking sheet with oil spray. Brush a little bit of olive oil on the cut side and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. 

Place the cut sides down. 

Pierce the top side of the squash with a knife 4-5 times. 

Place the tray into the oven and bake 35 minutes. While the squashes are baking cook the quinoa. 

Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and then place into a small pot with 1 cup/237 ml water. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Lower the heat and place a lid on the pot and simmer until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a medium mixing bowl.

Toss in the toasted pine nuts, scallions,  parsley and cranberries.

Place the raw pine nuts, nutritional yeast flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt into the bowl of a small food processor or a medium size mortar and process till you have a fine meal. Transfer the pine nut meal into the bowl with the quinoa. Add the olive oil and mix everything well. Using a large spoon fill each acorn squash evenly with the filling until you have run out. Return the tray back into the oven for 15 minutes.

| The roasted poblano cream |

Roughly chop the roasted poblano chilis and then place them into a blender. Add the soaked almonds, water, salt, garlic and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper to taste. Blend on high for 3-4 minutes until smooth. You can transfer the cream into a gravy boat for serving or a squirt bottle if you have one. When the acorn squashes are completely finished with stuffing and all, generously pour the roasted poblano cream sauce over the filling of the squashes and garnish with chopped scallions and parsley or cilantro. Enjoy! 

How to stove roast poblano chilis

Place two poblano chilis at a time onto one burner, so two burners total for the four chilis, and turn the flames on high. Let the chilis sit there for about 4-5 minutes until the side sitting on the flame is black and charred, using long tongs turn the chilis so that you do the same process for the same amount of time on each side. In total I did about 4 turns (sides) until the entire chili is evenly roasted. Turn the flame off and with your tong place all four chilis into a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a large plate and allow the peppers to “sweat” for 30-40 minutes. I did this part while the acorns were first cooking. Doing this process ensures the skin comes off easily. After 30- 40 minutes, remove the the plate and fill the bowl with room temperature water. Using your hands handle one pepper at a time, remove the skin, the skin will slip off easily in pieces. Tear the peppers open with your hands and remove the seeds and stem. 

Continue with the rest of the peppers. Using a dish towel or paper towel dry off the peppers. These can be made and ahead and stored in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Recipe Developed by Anna Getty

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