Quinoa Barley Stuffed Squash

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Wash and dry squash. Make a thin slice on the bottom just so it sits flat, if needed. Cut the top off, about ¾ of the way up and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and clean the cavity completely.

Brush squash with olive oil. Be sure to give it a generous coating of oil, inside, outside and tops too! Place it in an oven safe deep skillet or Dutch oven, put the tops back on and place a few sprigs of rosemary to the pan. Bake for ½ hour covered. Use aluminum foil if you are using a shallow skillet.

Meanwhile, cook quinoa and barley according to package instructions. I cooked both together and added vegetable stock for more flavor. When done, add pumpkin seeds and pecans.

Remove squash from oven and carefully remove the tops. Fill the squash cavity with quinoa barley mix and bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until squash has softened to your preference.