Acorn Squash Chia & Hemp Seed Pudding

Hey everyone!  I have another one of those recipes today that tastes delicious, but the presentation was a little bit lacking (or maybe a lot lacking). Story of my life. ;) I'll give it another go and see if I can get a nicer look at some point, but until then it was just too good not to share.  Seriously, I even had it taste-tested by someone other than @dksart and she highly approved!

This could definitely work for breakfast, snack, or even a dessert.  I have made chia pudding plenty of times before, but never with acorn squash.  I'm always happy to toss veggies in wherever I can.  Most winter squashes are slightly sweet, so they actually work really well in dishes like this.  The vibrant flesh adds a boost of vitamins in addition to the nice flavor. You could easily substitute pumpkin, butternut or any other orange-flesh squash that you have access to.

The initial mixture of the roasted squash, coconut milk and dates actually turned out quite rich and creamy by itself even before adding the chia seeds to thicken it up.  I still wanted to add the chia and hemp seeds, however, for the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and plant-based protein.  With the addition of a bit of unsweetened shredded coconut, the texture was almost like a tapioca pudding.  I thought it was quite a nice final product--satisfying with all of the healthy fats and other nutrients, while not sitting too heavy in my belly.

Acorn Squash Chia & Hemp Pudding

Makes 5 servings

• 1 medium acorn squash, seeded & roasted or otherwise cooked until soft
• 1 (14-ounce) can lite coconut milk
• 4-5 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger--optional (the pumpkin pie spice has some in it, but I love ginger)
• 5 tablespoons chia seeds
• 5 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

Once your squash is cooked, let cool then scoop out the softened flesh.  Place in a blender with the coconut milk, dates and spices.  Blend on high speed until smooth.

Portion out into 5 bowls or containers.  Stir one tablespoon of the seeds and coconut into each container.  Let sit for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator to let the chia seeds soften.  Top with poached pears (recipe below) and serve cool or slightly warmed up.

Poached Pears

• 2 Bartlett or other slightly hard pears, peeled & chopped
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 cups water (or enough to cover pears)
• 2 star anise pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves

Place all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan.  Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 45 minutes or until the pears have softened and the liquid has started to reduce down.

Remove the spices and portion out on top of your chia pudding. Try to resist gobbling them all up at once. ;)

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