Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Acorn Squash with Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

In search of a light and easy dinner after a long weekend away from home this meal turned in to a surprisingly beautiful plate of food.  The acorn squash tastes really exotic and refreshed with the blend of spices, the tart bite of sundried tomatoes along with the crisp peppery arugula salad and crumbled tangy feta cheese was a really unique combination that works!  To make this more of a meal we added roasted prosciutto wrapped asparagus with a drizzle of fig preserves.... This recipe is proven to be made quickly and painlessly ( we were exhausted!), just allow the 45-60 minutes for the squash to cook.  Prep the asparagus after the squash are in the oven, then when you take them out, crank the oven to 400 degrees and put in the asparagus to cook for 8 minutes. 


Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 pounds acorn squash
2 ounces feta cheese
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon oregano, ground
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 cups arugula
3 tablespoons lemon juice



Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To prepare the acorn squash, pull off the hard stem so it can sit on a flat surface. Then you will cut the end off horizontilly so it has a lid (this will need to be about 2" down from the opposite end of the stem removal) Scrape out all the seeds, discard. Place the squash in a pan lined with foil.

Next rub the inside walls with about 1-2 teaspoons olive oil. Combine all the spices together, and equally distribute between the squash. rubbing most into the walls. Then sprinkle in the chopped sundried tomatoes, give it a stir to combine the spices with them. Place the lids on each squash and place in the oven. Backe at 350 degrees for about 45-60 minutes untill the squash is soft.

Remove from the oven and prepare arugula. Toss the leaves with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper.


Plate each of the squash, lid to the side, sprinkle in the feta and top with arugula. Serve warm

•Low in cholesterol•High in calcium•High in dietary fiber•High in manganese
•High in magnesium•High in potassium•High in thiamin
•Very high in vitamin A•High in vitamin B6•Very high in vitamin C



Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus:

1 lb asparagus, washed and trimmed
6 slices Prosciutto
1-2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste
Squeeze of lemon
2 tablespoons Fig jam or preserves, heated to drizzle consistancy

Slice the Prosciutto into thin strips.  Wrap a small strip around each of the stems of asparagus.  Drizzle oil and lemon, season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.  Serve with a drizzle of hot fig jam on top.