I got as close as I could, and she said, had I used a difference cheese (parmesan was all I had-- I recommend goat cheese or feta), it would have been better than the Dream Cafe's. Quite a compliment! It takes some time to cook, but most of it is just baking time, and trust me, it's worth it. It's also quite filling (as a complete meal), acorn squash is in season, and, in honor of Halloween, shaped like a pumpkin! You can swap out the veggies if you'd prefer something else; I just used, again, what I had on hand. Plus, if you omit the cheese, it's vegan.
2 whole acorn squash
2 cups cooked whole grain brown rice
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup peas (or vegetable of your choice)
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chopped sage
1/8 tsp garlic
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup broth or stock, divided
1. Cut off the top inch of each acorn squash. Keep the top, but scoop out and discard the seeds. If the squash won't stand up on its own, cut off a piece from the bottom to flatten it. Set the squash, including the top, aside, on a baking sheet.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and spices, and saute until the begin to soften. At this point, mix in the cooked rice, then add 3/4 cup of the stock/broth a little at a time, so that the rice absorbs it.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. Once all but a few teaspoons of the stock has been incorporated, stir in the walnuts, cranberries, and parmesan. Remove from heat, and spoon into each squash. Place the tops back on the squash, and the remaining rice mixture in an oven-safe dish.
5. Bake the squash for 1 hour. When 20 minutes remain, pour the remaining stock/broth over the leftover rice mixture, cover, and put it in the oven with the squash.
Serves two.
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| Happy Halloween! |
How lucky for me that I happened to buy acorn squash this weekend, and I have everything else except for the cheese on hand! This looks very yummy.
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