Whole Wheat Couscous and Acorn Squash with Ground Lamb

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I know that supposedly December is when you move away from cooking with squash to even heartier dishes, but I eat squash in various forms pretty much all winter. This is one of my recent favorites. It’s adapted from several different stuffed squash recipes. Also, to punch up the good stuff, I used whole wheat couscous.

Acorn Squash with Ground Lamb and Whole Wheat Couscous
For 2 people

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup wholewheat couscous
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup dried cranberries
handful chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the squash in half crosswise and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Trim the ends so each half will stand upright. Place both halves in a baking pan, flesh side up, and pour hot water into the pan to reach about halfway up the squash. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to the center of each squash and season with salt and pepper. Loosely cover the pan with foil.

Bake the squash until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cumin and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the meat and cook through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts, cranberries and couscous. Turn off heat and stir in parsley. Remove the squash from the oven and, using a spatula, carefully transfer each half to a plate. Pour out any excess liquid from the centers. Divide the couscous among the squash.

Picture by City Girl