Healthy Cooking: Fiber is key to a healthy, delicious winter dinner

By: ALISON LADMAN | The Associated Press
Published: February 22, 2012

The key to ensuring that dinner is substantial and healthy? Fiber.

Adding plenty of whole grains and vegetables provides piles of nutrients and fills you up and keeps you full for long after the meal has finished. These foods also tend to be lower in calories, which means you can load up without getting weighed down.

This one-dish meal is rich in savory flavors thanks to a blend of mushrooms and cheese, as well as plenty of fiber from the farro.

Farro is an ancient variety of wheat common in Italian and Middle Eastern cooking. It usually is sold parcooked to make it quick-cooking, so be sure to check your package's instructions to determine the appropriate prep time. Some supermarkets sell farro, but it usually is easier to find in natural-food stores.

The flavors of the stuffing in the recipe below combine with the sweetness of acorn squash and fresh, bright citrus and herbs to create a meal that will feel less like you're leaving something out and more like you're indulging in something hearty.

Farro and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

Makes 4 servings

1 large acorn squash (about 1½ pounds)
½ cup farro
8 ounces mixed mushrooms, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, chopped
2 cups baby spinach
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
4 lemon wedges

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Cut the acorn squash into quarters. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Trim off a small slice of skin from the curved side of each quarter to allow it to sit flat.

3. Spritz a 9-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and arrange the squash in the pan, skin side down. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until just softened.

4. Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Add the farro to the boiling water and cook until tender but still al dente, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Add the garlic, shallots, spinach, orange zest, thyme and oregano, then cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the drained farro.

6. When the squash is ready, spoon the stuffing into the center of each quarter. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the stuffing and bake for 20 minutes more, or until the squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Serve each squash quarter with a wedge of lemon.

Nutrients per serving (values are rounded): 170 calories, 15 calories from fat (7 percent of total calories), 2 grams fat (1 gram saturated; no trans fat), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 37 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams protein, 5 grams fiber, 320 milligrams sodium.