One of my favorite things about autumn is cooking with lots of squash and root vegetables. Fall is the perfect time to start making hearty, roasted meals — the weather is beginning to cool, so you can roast with the windows open and keep your kitchen from getting too warm. An added bonus is the smell of the autumn air mixing with the smell of your roasted vegetables.

Acorn squash is now in season, so I took a trip to the grocery store to find a squash to roast and to look for some hearty ingredients to stuff it with. I chose to pick up fresh sage, quinoa, red onion, garlic, kale, and some chicken and apple sausage made in-house at the market. I considered picking up an apple for a little bit of crunch, but then a mound of jicama caught my eye.

Jicama, also known as a Mexican yam or Mexican turnip, is an edible root that has a texture and flavor similar to a pear, but a bit more firm and starchy. The flavor is also pear-like, and has a hint of nuttiness to it. It’s incredibly versatile and can be eaten raw in salad or cooked in a stir fry without losing it’s texture, making it a perfect addition to my stuffed squash.

Sausage, Quinoa and
Jicama Stuffed Squash

· 2 acorn squash
· 4 cups of chopped raw kale
·1 /2 pound of sausage
· 1 cup of chopped jicama
· 1 cup of cooked quinoa
· 3 sage leaves, chopped
· 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
· 1/4 cup of diced red onion
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 3 tablespoons butter
· Salt and pepper to taste

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, take your acorn squashes and cut them in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the middle. Scoop out a good amount of squash as well as the pulp to make lots of room for the stuffing. I scooped out enough so that somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of a cup of stuffing could fit inside each squash.

Once the insides of the squash are scooped, set all four halves cut side up on a baking sheet. You may need to slice off a small piece from the bottom of each half to help them stand up straight. Drizzle each cut, as well as the scooped-out surface, with about 1/2 of a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper and put them in the oven for 35 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, set a large saute pan to medium-high and add your 3 tablespoons of butter. Add your onion, garlic, sage leaves and jicama, and saute them, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until the onions and garlic get a little bit soft and translucent. Next, add your sausage, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage is cooked through (about 6 minutes), add your kale and prepared quinoa. Stir until the quinoa is nice and warm, the kale is bright and a little wilted, and everything is well combined. Set the mixture aside.

Once the squash has roasted for 35 minutes, remove it from the oven. Take a spoon and scoop your stuffing into each squash half, making a tight mound. Once the squash is stuffed, put them back in the oven for 15 minutes. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve.

This stuffed squash is aromatic and flavorful. The sausage and jicama give a touch of sweet, and the garlic and sage add just the right amount of savory. Enjoy!

ALICIA BANE is Wire Editor for The Times Record. She is also a recipe and lifestyle blogger. Find more recipes from Alicia at eeshaeats.wordpress.com