Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

'Tis the Season..........for squash.....I LOVE squash mainly because the options for preparing it are endless from savory to sweet.... this is one of my most favorite recipes.  Remember, most of the recipes I post I may not make the same EVER, I may be on the "I'm never going to eat sugar again.... ever.... kick", so I may substitute honey, agave, pure maple syrup, or molasses; so by all means.....allow yourself to do the same!


2      Tablespoons brown sugar
1      Tablespoon butter, melted
2      large acorn squash, halved and seeded
2      Tablespoons olive oil
2      cloves garlic, chopped
2      stocks celery, chopped
2      carrots, chopped
1      cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2   cup raisins
11/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
14    ounces chicken broth
1      cup uncooked couscous
freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350, arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet, bake 30 minutes, or until tender.  Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter, brush the squash with the butter mixture and keep warm while preparing the stuffing.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots and cook 5 minutes.  Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins.  Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until the vegetables are tender.

Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and mix in the couscous, cover the skillet, and turn off the heat.  Allow the couscous to absorb the liquid for 5 minutes.  Remove the cover from the skillet, with at fork; "fluff" the stuffing then stuff the squash halves with the mixture and serve.