Collegiette Eats: Egg-Baked Acorn Squash

Sick of eating cereal and ramen for lunch and dinner? Want to spend less money eating out and finally start cooking for yourself? Put down that frozen pizza, because HC’s Health Editor, Sammie Levin, is here to share her daily eats so you can get ideas for healthy, satisfying meals that are easy enough for any time-strapped collegiette to make. After you read Collegiette Eats, your taste buds, wallet and waistline will thank you.

Breakfast

#TreatYoSelf

I grabbed breakfast yesterday with friends at Amer's, a deli/cafe on campus. I haven't eaten breakfast out in a long time, so I decided to treat myself. I ordered challah French toast, one of my absolute favorite breakfast dishes that I haven't had in so long. It was delicious and cooked to perfection so that it was just moist enough without being soggy. Great way to start a Saturday. 

Lunch

On Friday, I made a batch of kale, butternut squash and chickpea soup using a recipe my mom sent me. The batch made enough for several meals, so I had a bowl for lunch yesterday with a side of naan. It's tasty, low-calorie and full of super healthy ingredients! The recipe makes enough for about eight to 10 bowls, so you can have enough soup for the week or to share with hungry roommates and friends. 

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsps. olive oil
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 butternut squash, cubed (1/2 inch pieces) 
• Pinch ground allspice 
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Sea salt
• Few springs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups vegetable stock, water or chicken stock 
• 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 bunch kale - washed, tough stems and ribs removed
• 2 cups chickpeas 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot.
2. Saute carrots, celery and onion for a few minutes. Stir in garlic and cook briefly. Add squash and spices, and stir to combine.
3. Add the stock or water, tomatoes or tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer about 10 minutes until squash is just tender.
4. Add the kale and chickpeas and cook uncovered about 10 minutes more.
5. Discard thyme and bay leaf.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. This can be kept refrigerated four days or frozen for several months.

My friend recently sent me a picture of an egg baked in an avocado half, and it made me drool. So when dinner rolled around last night, I had that on my mind, but no avocados on hand. I wondered what else I could bake an egg in, and I got the idea to use an acorn squash. I searched around the Internet and found that this wacky idea has been tested before, so I got a general sense of how to cook it from a few different recipes, and then I just went for it. I was slightly skeptical that the egg would actually cook in there, but it worked surprisingly well. Egg and squash make a good duo - the runny yolk soaks into the warm, tender squash like a creamy dressing. It takes about 40 minutes to cook, but is really easy to prepare. Check out the recipe below! It can serve one to two people based on your hunger level. 

Ingredients 

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 eggs 
• Handful of chopped green onions
• Handful of kale, sautéed in olive oil (or raw) 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
3. Rub olive oil in hollowed out part of squash and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake squash on baking sheet in oven for 30 minutes.
5. Remove squash and crack an egg in each hollowed out part of squash.
6. Bake in oven for another 10 minutes until the egg is cooked throughout but the yolk is still runny.
7. Top with green onions and serve with kale.

Happy Sunday! Cherish these last few weekend hours (or spend them in the library...)!