Food To Be Fit: Sweet & Spicy Acorn Squash

This recipe is based around a basic butter & brown sugar acorn squash recipe. Substituting olive oil for butter, and coconut sugar for brown sugar (and reducing the amount of both), helps to make this recipe a smidgen healthier. I also added a pinch of cayenne pepper to kick up the heat a bit, and to complement the sweet. Acorn squash is an extremely high source of Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Riboflavin. This spicy little number would be lovely served with some sort of red meat and a greens salad.

 Ingredients:

• 1 medium acorn squash
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• sprinkle of cayenne pepper

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds.
3. Cut a small slice off of the bottom of each half to allow the squash bowls to sit upright.
4. Place the squash bowls in a glass baking dish. Using your fingers, coat the flesh of each half with a little bit of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle 1 tsp coconut sugar on each bowl, as well as a small pinch of cayenne pepper.
6. Roast until golden brown and fork-tender. The middle of the squash should be  lightly pooling with melted coconut sugar, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.