Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a large baking sheet with olive oil. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush olive oil on both cut sides of the squash and season with salt and pepper. Place halves face down on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Turn halves cut side up and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until squash is tender.
2. In a medium pot, boil 3-4 cups of water over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. When the water is boiling, slowly add the quinoa and boil uncovered for 11-14 minutes. After 10 minutes, start checking the quinoa for doneness. The quinoa is done when the “dot” in the middle of the quinoa starts to disappear and when some of the white filaments start to come off the seeds. Drain the quinoa over a fine mesh strainer.
3. In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until onions start to become translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the oregano and swiss chard and continue to cook for another minute. Add the cooked quinoa, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, cherries, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until the mixture is warmed through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
4. Spoon quinoa mixture into the acorn squash and garnish with some additional oregano and chopped hazelnuts.