Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut your acorn squash in half and remove the seeds and “guts”.
Lightly coat the inside of the acorn squash halves with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the squash is soft, and slightly golden-brown.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the squash is soft, and slightly golden-brown.
Begin to prepare your quinoa by bringing 1/2 cup of quinoa to boil with 1 cup of water. Stir, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
While your squash and quinoa are cooking, clean and chop your celery, onion, and de-stemmed kale leaves.
Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a pan, and add your celery. Once the celery is soft (15-20 minutes), add the onion and kale leaves for a few minutes, until the onion becomes translucent, and the kale begins to wilt.
Season the cooked veggies with salt, pepper, and thyme. Mix well.
Add the seasoned veggie mixture, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries to the cooked quinoa and stir to combine.
Scoop the quinoa mixture into the semi-cooled squash halves and serve. Feel free to garnish with chopped walnuts or dried cranberries. Enjoy!