Acorn Squash Wild Mushroom Cranberry Stuffing Food

ACORN SQUASH WITH WILD MUSHROOM CRANBERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place squash cut side down in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high 10 minutes. Pierce plastic to let steam escape. Uncover and turn squash halves cut side up. Season cavities with salt and pepper.
• Combine dried cranberries and hot water in small bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion and sage and sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and stir until crumbs brown lightly, about 3 minutes. Mix in cranberries with soaking liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Mound stuffing into squash halves. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bake until heated through and crisp on top, about 10 minutes.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH MRS. KOSTYRA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pine nuts in single layer on a small baking sheet. Bake until golden and aromatic, 8 to 12 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through baking to make sure nuts toast evenly.
• Line a baking pan that's just large enough to hold the peppers with the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine raisins and orange juice in a small bowl. Let stand until raisins are plumped, about 15 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife, cut around the stems of six of the peppers. Core and seed the peppers, reserving the stems. Set aside.
• Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the rice, and simmer, covered, until rice is just a little undercooked, about 15 minutes.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and shallots, and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the finely chopped pepper and the plumped raisins. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme leaves, basil, chervil, and pine nuts, stirring to combine. Stir in the cooked rice.
• Fill each pepper with one sixth of the rice mixture. Place reserved pepper stems on top of each pepper. Top the tomatoes with the reserved thyme stems. Fit the peppers into the baking dish, and place the chervil sprigs between them. Cover with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil, and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover, and continue to bake until peppers are tender and rice is heated through, about 10 minutes.

ACORN SQUASH WITH CRANBERRY APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut squash in half and with a spoon, remove pulp and seeds.
• In a large pyrex baking dish place squash cut-side down.
• Pour 1/4-inch boiling water into pyrex dish (or use 1/4 inch room temperature apple juice for extra sweetness).
• Place dish in oven and bake squash for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries and cinnamon and grapeseed oil to make stuffing.
• Remove squash from the oven after the 30 minutes.
• Turn halves over and stuff center of each squash half with apple mixture.
• Return to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or longer) until squash and apples are tender.

ACORN SQUASH WITH CRANBERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of squash halves so they sit flat. Place squash hollow side down in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Add 1/2 in. water. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Add the apple, salt, lemon juice and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cranberries, sugar and water. Cook and stir until berries pop and liquid is syrupy. , Turn squash halves over; fill with cranberry mixture. Cover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until squash is tender.

ACORN SQUASH WITH LEFTOVER STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place cut side down in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; add 1/2 in. hot water. Bake, uncovered, at 400° until tender, about 30 minutes. , When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (flesh will measure about 3 cups). Drain water from pan; place squash shells cut side up in pan and set aside. , In a large bowl, combine the flesh, egg, salt and pepper. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water; add to squash mixture. Add stuffing; spoon into squash shells. If desired, top with cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 400° until heated through, 20-25 minutes. If desired, top with chopped parsley.