Ready for a really delicious lunch or dinner?! Try this brand new Garden of Eydie recipe featuring my own barbecue black bean filling, and fresh honey nut squashes straight from my garden! I love taking garden food and elevating it to fine dining levels while still keeping the food nutritious, and salt, oil, and sugar free! It’s a dish you won’t want to miss out on, so let’s get started!

For the BBQ Black Beans

• 2 cans black beans, no salt added
• 1 TB minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• ½ cup ketchup (no sugar added)
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 TB tamari lite
• 1/8^th tsp. liquid smoke

For the Garnish:

• Chives, finely minced
• Lemon, orange or lime zest

Bake the squash:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

1. Using a sharp knife, slice off the stem, then slice down the middle of the length of the squash.  Remove seeds.
2. Brush each squash half with a little bit of maple syrup and sprinkle on the paprika mixture.
3. 3. Place on parchment lined sheet pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is very tender when pierced with a knife.  We want the squash to be very soft. Remove from the oven.

Make the BBQ black beans:

1. Drain and wash the beans with cool water.  Pat dry with a paper towel.
2. In a measuring cup, combine all of the other ingredients and mix with a fork to combine.
3. Place a 2 qt. pot over medium high heat for a minute.  Add in the beans and the garlic and quickly stir until you can start to smell the garlic.  Add in the sauce ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

Make the boats:

1. With a small spoon, scrape the flesh of the squash into the seeded area to make the boat even from one side to the other, filled with the flesh.
2. Spoon bbq black bean mixture on top of each squash.
3. Garnish with chives and lemon zest.