It's no different here, so I went with a ridiculously simple preparation. I have a couple of squashes hanging out in the kitchen right now. And for the most part, they're polar opposites. One is a big, scary (but beautiful) Blue Hubbard. Scary because I need a machete to break into it. This just wasn't the week for that. I have a few more weeks to decide what will become of it, I suppose.
And the second was a small acorn squash. Well, obviously I chose that one. I almost stuffed it. Almost. Admission time - I have never stuffed an acorn squash before. I know! That's pretty much the first thing people do with acorn squash, right? Well, not me. I've always sliced and roasted it with one thing or another. This time was no different.
Acorn Squash and Chorizo Seco Tacos
by
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Keywords: roast entree dairy-free nut-free soy-free sugar-free chorizo squash tortillas American Mexican fall winter
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 8 ounces chorizo seco
- 1/2 of a medium acorn squash
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 12-18 corn tortillas
- salsa
- cilantro
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with foil, or have a 12-inch cast iron skillet ready.
Slice the chorizo seco into 1/4-inch slices. Scrub the outside of the squash, then remove the seeds (for at least the half you're using). Cut the half squash into 1-inch chunks. Toss both the chorizo and the squash onto the prepared baking sheet or into skillet.
Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat everything. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (the chorizo may be salty, you can always season more later) and some pepper.
Slide into preheated oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, tossing everything around halfway through baking time, until the squash is tender and browned in spots and the chorizo is cooked through.
In the meantime, you can heat up the corn tortillas; I like to do it over the open flame of my stovetop burners, but you could also wrap them and microwave (steam) them. Hold in towels or a tortilla warmer.
When everything is done, scoop some of the filling into a tortilla, dribble with salsa, and rip some fresh cilantro over the top. Enjoy.
Chorizo seco is literally dry chorizo. It is still the "fresh" Mexican variety, but you will probably purchase it from the butcher counter hung from the ceiling. By name, it is much drier than the variety kept in the cooler. You still need to cook it. If you can't find it, you could substitute fresh, crumbled that has been cooked in a pan while the squash roasts.
If you have it, crumble some queso fresco over the filling, as well. The slightly spicy chorizo and the sweet acorn squash complement each other nicely. Black beans (whole or refried) would also be a nice addition here, as well as some cool crema to top it all off.
