For the Love of Toast…I Mean VEGETABLES!

I’m not gonna lie…  Healthy eating isn’t my forte.

Truth be told, if I had my way, I’d eat peanut butter toast and cereal for almost every meal every day…with perhaps a cheeseburger and some candy bars thrown in every now and then.

But, deep down, I’ve known for a long time I need to learn to eat healthier.

I must eat more vegetables and fruits.

Less toast.

{Bummer.}

My resolve grew when a friend gave me a juicer.

I’ve been contemplating giving juicing a whirl ever since Oprah interviewed a spunky old man who juiced every day.  (Hmm…I wonder if he’s still living?)

Once I had the juicer on my countertop, I realized I didn’t have a hot clue how to begin.  Thankfully, another friend introduced me to a website called www.rebootwithjoe.com.

I decided to go great guns and head right into the 15 day plan.  {I’m not necessarily saying that was wise…}

Oh, mercy.

I was a tad overeager, I believe…

The good news is, I’ve consumed more vegetables in the last 2 weeks than I have in my entire life.

The bad news is, I just couldn’t live on juice alone for 15 days… I had to ditch the plan at about day 7. {But I’m still trying to drink at least one juice a day.}

In my new venture towards healthy eating, I discovered this yummy recipe.  I’ll admit that I really prefer ooey gooey sweet and delicious recipes more, but this one is much better for me…

ACORN SQUASH WITH MUSHROOM STUFFING

1 medium acorn squash

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

6 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for brushing

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large portabella mushroom, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped (I used sage powder.  Sprinkle in to taste.)

Pinch of red pepper flakes – optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Trim off each end of the squash.  Stand the squash upright and halve lengthwise.  Scoop out the pulp and the seeds and discard.  Brush each squash half with olive oil, and then sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. salt and black paper.  Arrange cut sides down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Roast the squash until the flesh is tender and the edges are golden brown, approximately 25-35 minutes.  Remove from the oven, flip the squash halves over and set aside.  While the squash roasts, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and sauté 2 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent.  Add the mushrooms, sage, salt and the red pepper flakes and sauté until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Fill the roasted squash halves with the mushroom mixture and bake again for another 10 minutes.