Couscous-Stuffed Acorn Squash

A couscous salad is made of pistachios, carrots, cranberries, and garbanzo beans and stuffed inside an acorn squash. The salad is also flavored with cinnamon, cumin, and orange.

Ingredients

• 2 medium (blank)s acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 ounces whole wheat couscous
• 0.5 cup cranberries
• 0.25 cup chopped pistachio nuts
• 0.25 cup grated carrots
• 2 tablespoons butter

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Brush each squash half with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-sides down. Use a sharp knife to cut off a small section of the rounded squash, so it will sit flat when turned upside-down.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until squash is soft when pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine garbanzo beans, orange juice, cinnamon, cumin, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Cook the beans for 10 minutes while the mixture slowly comes to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in couscous, and cover with a lid. Let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and stir cranberries, pistachio nuts, carrots, and butter into the couscous.
6. Remove squash from the oven. Turn over and stuff with couscous mixture, firmly pushing it into each open cavity. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more.