Baked Acorn Squash w/ Butter, "Brown Sugar" & Pecans Served w/ Pan Seared Wild Halibut

This evening we had an easy and delicious dinner. I made Pan Seared Wild Halibut and Baked Acorn Squash with Butter, "Brown Sugar" & Pecans (no worries, it's sugar free "brown sugar"). It was easy to make and full of  "fall flavor." I cooked the halibut in Kerrygold's Garlic & Herb Butter, a squeeze of fresh lemon and a few capers. It takes less than 15 minutes to make and you can prepare it while the acorn squash is in the oven baking. To make the halibut (I prepared 2 6-ounce fillets), season both sides with salt and pepper, then sear it in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes per side (depending on the thickness). Transfer the fillets to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add 2 tablespoons Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter to the skillet, 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and swirl until melted and bubbling. I then added about 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest and 1 heaping tablespoon of capers (leave them out if you don't like them). I returned the halibut to the pan and basted it with the lemon garlic butter and capers. That's all there is to it, other than serve and eat.

To make the "brown sugar" for my acorn squash topping, I simply mixed 2 tablespoons of Swerve Sweetener (granular) with 1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses. It gave it just enough flavor and color to mimic brown sugar and then mixed it with butter, cinnamon and pecans to make an absolutely delicious topping for the acorn squash. These would make a perfect side dish to serve at Thanksgiving, too!  I snapped a few photos below and included the easy peasy recipe for the baked acorn squash. Enjoy!

Baked Acorn Squash w/ Butter, "Brown Sugar" & Pecans

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash (green or orange skinned)
2 tablespoons Swerve granular sweetener (or other granular sweetener)
Generous dash of ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons diced chilled butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Cut acorn squash in half from top (stem end) to bottom. Scoop out seeds and pulp with a spoon. Place acorn squash cut side down on baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until softened.

While squash is baking, prepare topping. In a medium bowl, add granular sweetener, cinnamon and salt. Combine with a fork; mix in molasses. Cut butter into mixture using a pastry cutter/dough blender or 2 knives until crumbly and in small bits. Stir in pecans. Remove squash from oven and flip over (cavity side up). Fill cavities with topping. Return to oven and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. 

*Note: If squash is wobbly or sits unevenly when flipped over, transfer it to a small casserole dish for support to help keep the melted topping inside the squash as it bakes.