by Rebecca Nov 21st, 2010 // Swell Suppers

Swell Supper: Healthy Vegetarian Decadence

When it comes to getting dinner on the table my friend, Macki, is straight out of the 1950s. Night after night she manages to pull together great meals for her sweet family. Since this is her forte, I thought it would be fun to have her put together some of our Swell Suppers. Take it away, Macki!

Hi! I’m Macki. I put together this Swell Supper last week and I know what you are probably thinking. How can something healthy and vegetarian also be decadent? Here’s how: Our veggie-friendly menu starts with Stuffed Acorn Squash and Tuscan White Beans but it’s followed by sinfully Gooey Marshmallow Brownies for dessert. To make this meal happen, start by following the instructions on the package for the brownies. Once the brownies are in the oven and the timer is set, start the Tuscan White Beans.  Let your kid rinse the beans then place them in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, wash the sage leaves and zucchini for the Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe. Also, take some time now to prep all of the chopped veggies for the stuffed acorn squash.

When the beans come to a boil toss in the sage leaves, turn down the heat to a soft boil and loosely cover. Cut your acorn squash in half. (If your kid is anything like mine, she will love scooping out the seeds.) Check on the beans, give them a stir and add more water if they begin to dry out. The timer for the brownies should be going off, so take those out and sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips. (I found it easier to avoid a hot pan by putting the marshmallows and chocolate chips in a measuring cup and let my kid pour them on the brownies and spread them out with a spatula.) Put them back in the oven for a couple of minutes and turn the oven light on so your kid can watch as the marshmallows grow.

When the brownies are done remove them, turn the oven up to 400 and place your scooped out acorn squash face down in a baking dish filled with 1/4 inch of water. While that’s in the oven, cook the quinoa and veggies according to the recipe. Your squash should be nearly done just as your are finishing up the quinoa. Now you can stuff your squash with quinoa according to the recipe. Now drain excess liquid from the beans and stir in your garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Plate things up and your vegetarian meal is served!  Don’t forget to save room for the brownies. Now doesn’t that sound swell?

That’s me with my little chef and I have to admit something, I do not like beans…at all! I couldn’t very well expect my daughter to try them if I wouldn’t either. I chose to make the Tuscan White Beans as a new venture for the entire family. Guess what happened? I LOVED the beans! My kid knew I was hesitant but when she witnessed me scarfing down a  second helping, she decided to give them a try.  Her love for the beans only lasted 2 bites. After I made this Swell Supper I couldn’t decide which dish I like best. Okay, dessert wins, but the others were a very close tie!