I’m writing this while my move is happening around me and let me tell you, my life is chaos and all an emotional rollercoaster. In the past few months, we have been waiting to hear on my husband’s job opportunity and trying to be prepared for a move if needed. Which equates to us not making the best food choices, letting our stress guide us rather than what our body needs. I did have this idea and whip it up a few weeks ago and it was exactly what our bodies needed and craved, GOOD, HEALTHY, FOOD.

I love making food packed with flavor so you are so consumed with all the yum, you forget that this shouldn’t taste good because it is healthy too. I truly feel like the diet industry has done such a disservice to everyone making them think you can only be “healthy” if you eat plain chicken with broccoli or some disgusting shake that is supposed to take the place of a meal. I would much rather whip this up and have food that my body loves and I love, a total win win.

As you might know, I love Moroccan flavors, my Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken is a family favorite and I wanted another dinner in my wheelhouse with those intense flavors. I made a spice mix that is perfect in any dish you want to add a little exotic flair, seriously it is amazing on salmon, chicken, beef, whatever! Then I got to use some beautiful acorn squash, we love it because it is one of less sweet squashes and it is just pretty to look at! Once I had the spices and the squash, I got combining those fantastic flavors of Morocco. Then a drizzle to top it off for a little creaminess and color.

My kids loved this too, the familiarity of the beef, carrots, and kale along with some fun flavor and sweetness from the raisins made this a hit. Remember that little ones have palates that like to be awakened as much as ours do, change it up and you never know what cuisine will peak their interest. This is a great meal prep option too, just make the filling and you can use an acorn squash or whatever base you like, cauliflower rice or sweet potatoes would be amazing. It is Whole30, Paleo, Keto, low carb, gluten free, dairy free, and can be nut free or even vegan if you swap the beef for plant based crumbles or firm tofu. Pretty enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight!

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

Moroccan Spice Mix

2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squash, halved and seeds scooped out
2 Tablespoons oil + more for squash
salt and pepper sprinkle
1 cup (medium) onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef or preferred protein
1 cup shredded carrots
3 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons Moroccan Spice Mix above
2 1/2 cups kale, packed and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 lemon zested
1 teaspoon salt
toasted almonds - optional

Spiced Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup yogurt, we use Cashewgurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat oven to 400, prep the acorn squash by drizzling with oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes
Mix the spice mix in a small bowl, set aside
Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat, add the onions and saute for a few minutes until they are tender. Add the carrots and garlic and saute for a few minutes until they are cooked. Throw in the beef and break up with a spoon, season with the spice mix and saute until cooked through.
Turn the heat to medium-low and add the lemon zest, raisins, and kale, tossing until the kale is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, mix together the spiced yogurt sauce and set aside.
Once the squash is tender, remove from the oven and fill with a fourth of the beef mixture in each half. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted sliced almonds and a drizzle of the spiced yogurt.

Just look at those colors of the spices, you know it is going to be good!

Cut those squashes in half and then scoop out the seeds, you can roast those too for a snack!

Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, the simple things are usually best.

Bake them with the cut facing down.

Super simple, cook the onions a bit, make sure to season with a little salt and pepper. Then add the carrots and garlic, cook for a little bit longer, then the beef. Break it up with your spoon and season again with a little salt and pepper.

While the beef is cooking, season with that amazing spice mix. You can add the raisins in here too, helps them plump up a little.

Kale gets dropped in and cooked for a couple minutes while you stir. For some crunch, add a handful of toasted almonds and you are ready to stuff!

Yogurt sauce is so easy to whip together but it pushes the dinner to the next level. We are dairy free in our house so we love to use nut based yogurts but it would be equally delicious with any type of yogurt or coconut cream.