Stuffed Kabocha Squash

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the insides of the squash quarters with melted coconut oil. Place them on a baking tray and roast them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender but still holds its shape. Then remove it from the oven and set aside.

2. While the squash is roasting, dice the onion and broccoli. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and broccoli and saute for about 4-5 minutes. Core and dice the apple while this is cooking.

3. After 4-5 minutes, turn the heat to medium high and add the chicken and apple into the onion mixture. Brown all the ingredients for about 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, turn the heat down to medium and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

4. Divide the chicken mixture equally and stuff it into each of the squash boats. Heat for 10 minutes at 375 to 400 degrees F. (I have a convection oven here in Japan, so when I convert recipes back for a conventional oven it is not an exact science. All you want to do is get the stuffed squash piping hot without getting the stuffing too brown.)

This is a great make-ahead dish as you can prepare the boats earlier in the day and simply reheat as needed in the oven. I don’t recommend using a microwave (ever) because it will toughen up the squash and dry out the filling. Also, if you have any leftover filling, it makes a great breakfash hash topped with a fried egg!