Middle Eastern Stuffed Acorn Squash - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 acorn squash (1-1/4 - 1-1/2 lb. each)
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch ground cardamom
1 1/3 cups water
2/3 cup red quinoa
3 tablespoons toasted salted cashew pieces
2 tablespoons diced dried apricots
4 teaspoons chopped of fresh mint (can sub thin sliced green onions for a different flavor)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0F.
Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings. Place squash cut side down in a shallow baking dish and fill with 1/4\" of water. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
In the meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat, whisking constantly. Watch closely as brown flecks begin to appear. As soon as the butter turns a caramel brown color and has a nutty fragrance (this should take between 4-6 minutes; do not allow the butter to turn black), remove from the heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil, cinnamon and cardamom. Note: Can add additional spices, like ground coriander, ground cumin, red or black pepper.
Add the 1 1/3 cup water and quinoa to the same saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 17 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.
Toss 2 cups of the quinoa with the seasoned brown butter, cashews, apricots and mint. Cover the quinoa mixture to keep it warm if the squash needs more time to finish baking.
Equally divide the quinoa filling among the four squash halves. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.