"Stuffed" Acorn Squash

A Vegetarian Delight! This dish may just convince your meat-loving friends to become vegetarians! Okay, that’s a stretch; but at the very least, they’ll be singing its praises. The recipe is actually my take on a scrumptious dish created by the lovely Sarah Britton (whom I don’t know personally). I would, however be delighted to make her acquaintance someday and thank her for some truly wonderful recipes. She and I are kindred Scandinavian spirits as we both live a “one foot here – one foot there” kind of life, (Copenhagen/Canada and Sweden/Santa Fe, respectively) and I adore her blog My New Roots. She introduced me to a whole new world of delicious, plant-based meals. Her Life-Changing Loaf of Bread has been a favorite for years. And while I don’t call myself a vegetarian (I’m more of a “flexitarian”), My New Roots has inspired me to “cook better/eat healthier”. Without further ado, here’s the recipe. 

Ingredients:

4  small acorn squash

1 cup (175 g) wild rice mix 

2 TBS. melted butter

3 TBS. organic canola oil

1 TBS. smoked sea salt

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

4 cups (120g) firmly packed chopped kale or spinach

1 TBS. lemon juice

1 TBS. Seasoned Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

1/4-1/2 cup water

1/4 cup (30g) toasted pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 cups (225g) cooked chick peas (I usually whip up a whole batch – a 1 lb./450 g bag of dried chick peas will yield about 4 1/2 cups when cooked. Just follow the directions on the bag and then save the rest for a killer hummus. If you’re short on time a 15 oz. can of drained and rinsed chick peas works as well.

8 large dried figs, roughly chopped

1 small red onion

a handful each of chopped parsley, oregano and thyme

1 cup (175 g) crumbled feta 

Salt, pepper and red chili flakes to taste

For the squash:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash the squash thoroughly. Slice around the stem and make a “lid” for each squash. Scoop out the seeds and save, if so desired, for roasting. Rub the squash and their lids with 1 TBS. melted butter and 1 TBS. of the canola oil. Give the insides, outsides and lids a good sprinkling of smoked sea salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes (or until the flesh of the squash is soft). Turn off the oven and let the squash “rest” as you prepare the stuffing.

For the stuffing:

Prepare the wild rice mix. Bring the rice, 1 1/2 (2 1/2 dl.) cup water, 1 TBS. butter and a dash of salt to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 

In a large pot, gently fry the finely chopped garlic in 2 TBS. canola oil until translucent. Add the chopped kale or spinach and toss. Place a damp paper towel over the greens, turn down the heat and cover with a lid. “Sweat” the greens for about 20 minutes, allowing them to soften. Add the lemon juice, bouillon, water, pumpkin seeds, chick peas, figs and herbs. Stir and let simmer for 15-20 minutes without the lid. Add the feta cheese, red onion, wild rice mix and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to stuff the squash. 

Fill each squash with stuffing and place the lid decoratively on the side. Serve and enjoy!