Friendly Foodies: Sausage-stuffed Squash, Latin-Mediterranean Fusion Style

This meal was one of those happy accidents, a surprisingly tasty dish that usually comes together on a hectic weeknight when you get home later than anticipated, and try to make inventive use of some random ingredients strewn around the kitchen. Here is what I faced upon arriving home last night: a single leftover acorn squash from Roomie's endeavors last week, a pint of sketchy grape tomatoes (past their prime for a salad or anything uncooked), and a package of spicy jalapeno chicken sausage from Trader Joe's.

Chicken or turkey sausages are a great lean protein to keep in the fridge or freezer; since they're usually pre-cooked they just need to be sauteed or heated for a bit before eating or adding to a recipe. They also come in a wide array of flavor profiles, from traditional Italian roasted garlic to sweet sun-dried tomato to tangy spiced mango. I could have just heated up the jalapeno sausages whole in a hot skillet, and paired them with some frozen-then-steamed vegetables. But, I was in the mood for something a bit more fun. Sausage-stuffed squash is a mainstay of autumn and winter home cooking, and I've certainly assembled my share in the past. The basic process is pretty simple in theory: you bake a squash until the flesh is all soft, then scoop out the squashy goodness to combine it with other savory ingredients to make a kind of stuffing: herbs, breadcrumbs, more vegetables, and little savory bites of sausage. Then you pile the stuffing back into the squash halves and top with some kind of cheese, and bake or broil until heated through, bubbly, and melty. While the method is pretty basic, it's the flavor that can be harder to get a handle on, as Roomie figured out last week. Squash is inherently sweet, so what you add to the stuffing needs to balance this sweetness with a good measure of salty and sour notes.

Inspired by the deliciously spicy heat of the jalapeno sausages, and the versatility of tomatoes, I wondered if I could attempt a kind of Latin-Mediterranean fusion stuffed squash. I used a shortcut microwave method to cook the small squash, and while it was getting all soft I chopped and sauteed the sausage so the edges would get brown and firm. I sliced my sad grape tomatoes in half, their tired juices spurting all over my apron as I worked. When the squash was done I mashed everything together, adding some dried oregano to highlight the Mediterranean flavors, and some whole wheat breadcrumbs to hold everything together. I sprinkled in some Fondor and a bit of salt, but there was something missing. I recalled my initial idea for a fusion of Latin and Mediterranean flavors, and wondered if some tangy citrus juice could help liven up the existing flavors. I added a dash of lime juice but it wasn't quite discernible: a full tablespoon later, and we had a unique, delicious savory stuffing. Before putting the squash under the broiler, I had some feta and Romano cheese in the fridge that I crumbled for a salty topping.

With these small additions, the sweet mashed acorn squash was now a velvety canvas for spicy chunks of sausage, sweet oregano, and little bursts of acidic tomato, and the lime juice brightened everything up a few notches. Warm feta and Romano cheese rounded everything out--texture wise, it added a nice firm crust to complement the softness of the stuffing, and flavor wise, it added a touch of salty, cheesy wonder.

Enjoy!
K, feeling proud of her last-minute brilliance

Latin and Mediterranean-Style Sausage-Stuffed Squash
(Serves 2)

1 acorn squash
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
6 oz. jalapeno chicken sausage (or other spicy chicken or vegetarian sausage)
1 tsp. canola oil
1/4 c. whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Fondor
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp. crumbled feta
2 Tbsp. grated Romano cheese

1. Cut squash in half and place in microwave-safe dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes. Rotate the dish and microwave another 3-4 minutes, or until flesh is very soft. Remove from plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a couple of minutes to speed up the cooling process.

2. While squash is cooking, prep the chicken sausage and tomatoes. Cut the sausage links in half length-wise, and then slice across the semicircle to create little half-moons. Saute the half moons in canola oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Set aside in a medium bowl. Slice the grape tomatoes in half and add to the sausage.

3. Preheat the broiler. Remove squash from freezer, scoop out the flesh, and add to the sausage and tomato mixture. Place the now-empty squash halves on a baking dish. Add oregano, breadcrumbs, lime juice, and a few sprinkles of Fondor, salt, and pepper to the stuffing. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mash everything together until very well combined. Divide mixture in half between the two acorn squash , and top the halves with 1 Tbsp. each of crumbled feta and grated Romano cheese.

4. Broil for about 4-5 minutes until the topping is slightly browned, watching carefully so the stuffing doesn't burn. Serve right away.