Lentil Stuffed Acorn Squash

Is there a vegan in your family?  I have the perfect recipe for you.  This Lentil Stuffed Acorn Squash is healthy, easy, and very flavorful!  For Thanksgiving a few years ago, we served a wild rice stuffed acorn squash and it was a huge success. Even with the meat eaters!

You can make the filling a day ahead if you like.  It should hold up great.  Then on the day you are serving, all you need to do is roast the squash and assemble.

lentil stuffed acorn squash

I love all the colors in this healthy recipe.  When I went to buy the squash for this, they only had tiny acorn squashes, so that is why mine look kind of small.  However, the beauty of this recipe is that you can make the squash any size you like.  The filling is also pretty delicious on it’s own.

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Butternut Pasta Casserole

The other day, my husband made an amazing butternut cream sauce.  He had plans to use it in this butternut pasta casserole.  This dish is perfect comfort food that just so happens to be vegan and gluten free!  It was a super cinch to make too.  This butternut pasta casserole would make a great main dish for a plant based Thanksgiving.  I also think the veggies can we swapped out for whatever you have on hand.  We just happened to have peas and carrots, so that is what we used.  If you are looking for more plant based Thanksgiving ideas, you can check out this post.

butternut squash casserole - my whole food life

We actually made the sauce the day before the casserole, so you can do that if you want to save time.  This should last 5 days in the fridge.  I haven’t tried freezing it, but I imagine it might freeze well too.

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Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce

You need to try this Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce! Butternut squash is so versatile.  True to it’s name, it is rich and buttery in texture.  It’s also super easy to hide it in recipes for those kids who don’t like veggies.

This Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce is the bomb.  I plan using it in a few upcoming recipes.   Great with pasta, or use a dip for veggies.

If you love squash, you will also love my Squash Soup with Caramelized Onions or my Gluten Free Squash Bread.

 

Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce - My Whole Food Life

This creamy sauce is made with absolutely no dairy.  You would never guess the secret ingredient is cashews.  This sauce is vegan, gluten free and paleo approved.

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Fall Rice Bowl (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Fall Rice Bowl.  I am loving that fall is here.  Cooler air and all the yummy fall produce!  Squash is my favorite seasonal vegetable.  It went so well in this healthy vegan Rice Bowl.

Then again, squash goes so well in just about anything!  Sweet or savory.  I used butternut squash, but I also think kabocha squash would work nicely.

 

Fall Rice Bowl - My Whole Food Life

 

If you don’t eat rice, this can also be made with quinoa.  I chose wild rice because I think the earthy flavor goes so well with the squash. I think kale or even mushrooms might be other nice additions.

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Kale White Bean Squash Soup (Vegan)

Have you ever tried kabocha squash?  OMG it’s my favorite out of all the squashes.  It is super sweet and buttery.  Perfect for this Kale White Bean Squash Soup.

I used my Instant Pot to cook the squash and it only took like 7 minutes.  Love that thing!  I highly recommend one if you don’t have it.

I will also give directions for roasting the squash in the oven. This is a great way to get more kale in your diet.

 

Kale White Bean Squash Soup - My Whole Food Life

 

This healthy soup recipe is perfect for fall.  The squash gives it a nice sweetness that goes very well with the beans.  It also helps to offset the bitterness of the kale.  I used curly kale, but I think any kind of kale could work.

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Squash Cranberry Muffins

Squash Cranberry Muffins are perfect for Fall.  My kids loved them!  The other day I roasted a kabocha squash.   I was going to use it in my Quinoa and Brussel Sprouts dish, but I ended up roasting it too long and it turned to mush.  So I pureed it and decided to use it in these Squash Cranberry Muffins.  My picky kids loved them!  They are super easy to make.  Vegan and gluten free.  I used part sorghum flour for these since I was out of oat flour.  Feel free to use gluten free oat flour as well.  If you enjoy this recipe, you may also enjoy my gluten free butternut squash bread or my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Squash Cranberry Muffins - My Whole Food Life

I am still trying to use up all the food in my fridge and that is why I added cranberries and also chocolate chips.  You can really add in anything you like.  I know it’s hard to find cranberries that are not sweetened with sugar.  Well I found some at Natural Grocers that were apple sweetened.  I believe Eden Foods also sweetens their cranberries with fruit.

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