River of Wing it Vegan knows how to make vegan holidays fun, exciting, and delicious ... and Halloween is certainly no exception. She has even coined the term "Halloweegan" and dedicated multiple, multiple posts to some of the most enticing and creative (and dairy-free) recipe ideas that I have ever laid my eyeballs upon. Just a few of her creations include the Chocolate Coffin Cake (complete with deceased gingerbread man), Spider Cupcakes and Cinnamon Rolls, Mashed Potato Ghosts and Mummy Dogs, and of course, the recipe that follows.

And don't think for a minute that this is just a simple stuffed pumpkin recipe. Some surprise and adorable serving ideas lurk at the close of this nutritious (gluten-free and vegan!) recipe.

River ~ Halloween is almost here and it's time to get our creepy on! My favorite way to celebrate the spooky season is with lots of themed foods. Desserts are easy to figure out, especially with all the candy that comes along with Halloween, but there's no reason why savory foods can't be as fun as the sweet goodies! These easy to carve and very festive Jack-O'-Lantern acorn squashes are filled with nutritious quinoa and a hint of eeevil!

Quinoa Stuffed Mini Jack-O'-Lanterns  or Halloweegan Peppers

Prepare the squashes:

• 2 gold acorn squashes
• olive oil
• salt
• black pepper

If you're going to bake them in a conventional oven, preheat it to 375ºF.

Slice off the bottom tip of the squashes to create a flat base. Cut off the tops and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Save the tops for later!

Use a pencil to draw the faces on the squashes, and use a small serrated knife to carve out the faces. Luckily, carving a small acorn squash is easier than carving a big pumpkin!

Brush a little olive oil all over the inside of the squashes and lightly sprinkle them with salt and black pepper. At this point you can choose to bake them in a conventional oven for an hour or until soft, or you can cook them in the microwave like I did. Place the squashes in a microwave safe bowl, add about 1/2 cup of water and microwave for 5 to 8 minutes or until soft.

In the meantime, make the quinoa stuffing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 cup vegetable broth

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about five minutes or until soft. Stir in the mushrooms and saute two more minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for just about 30 seconds.

Add the parsley salt, black pepper, quinoa, and vegetable broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft and fluffy. If the quinoa is still crunchy you can add more broth and simmer it for a few more minutes. 

Spoon the quinoa stuffing into the acorn squashes and cover them with the reserved squash tops. Reheat the finished dish, if necessary, and serve. 

For Tiny Appetites: You can make those mini pumpkins instead of the bigger acorn squashes. You can stuff 6 to 8 mini pumpkins with this recipe, depending on their size.

Halloweegan Peppers: You can also stuff a carved orange bell pepper. Carve, stuff, and bake in a covered casserole dish at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes.

Yields 2 servings

Article, recipe and photos by River of Wing it Vegan. River blogs "vegan grub, craftiness, and geekery." You can visit her Halloweegan Index for more spooky creations.