I wanted to make something savory and packed with flavor, enough to be a meal all on its own. Acorn squash has 145% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin A, along with Vitamin C, B, folate, and a hefty dose of beta carotene! Add in the black beans for protein, the tomatoes as an antioxidant, and you are well on your way to a complete meal. It taste great too!
2 acorn squash
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 can, 15 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon cumin
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
4 tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese *
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut both squash in half horizontally and scoop out seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until squash is very soft and tender and edges begin to brown a bit. Turn oven off and leave squash in the oven while preparing filling.
Lightly heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, red pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno; cook until softened about 3 minutes. Then add in cumin, black beans and corn; stir well to combine and cook a couple more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Fill the squash halves with black bean and corn mixture. Top each with a tablespoon of Cotija cheese.
* Cotija is a hard cow’s milk cheese that originated from Mexico. It is named after the town of Cotija.
Tags: acorn squash, bell peppers, Black Beans, cilantro, Corn, Cotija cheese, cumin, Garlic, Jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil, onions, Vegetarian
