Autumn Acorn Squash With Wild Rice Food

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
• Place squash cut side up on a baking sheet, brush 1 tablespoon of the melted butter over the tops and insides of the squash halves, sprinkle with brown sugar, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven until just fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add the onion, shallots, and celery, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in the rice, pecans, cranberries, salt, and pepper.
• Divide the rice filling among the roasted squash halves (about 1/2 cup for each) and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of butter over top. Continue roasting until the squash is completely fork tender, the edges have started to brown, and the filling is heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

BLACK WILD RICE-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on the lined baking sheet and bake until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Leave the oven on at 400 degrees F.
• Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the breadcrumbs, increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden brown. Stir in the parsley and garlic salt. Transfer to a dish.
• Wipe the skillet clean. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms and leeks until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the kale and garlic and cook until the kale wilts, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, currants, soy sauce, honey and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
• Scoop some of the mixture into the cavity of each acorn squash half and top with the reserved breadcrumbs. Bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

WILD RICE-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cook wild rice blend according to package directions. Drain excess liquid, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, cut squash in half horizontally. Scoop out and discard seeds. Brush 2 tablespoons oil over the squash cavities and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place, cut-side down, on a baking sheet. Roast until tender and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in dried cherries, thyme, garlic and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked rice and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Divide the rice mixture among the squash halves and sprinkle with chives and pomegranate arils, if desired.

AUTUMN STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange squash halves, cut-side up, in a roasting pan. Run a fork through the meat of each half, creating grooves. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; dot with butter pieces.
• Bake in the preheated oven until meat is tender enough to puncture with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Add wild rice, cranberries, and chicken stock; cook and stir until rice and cranberries have absorbed the chicken stock, about 5 minutes.
• Spoon the sausage filling into each squash half. Return stuffed squash to oven and bake until flavors have blended, 5 to 10 minutes.

BAKED ACORN SQUASH WITH WILD RICE MEDLEY

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Using a sharp knife, trim away a small flat slice from the bottom of each squash so it sits flat. Then, cut off the top 1/2 inch of each squash, exposing the seeds. Use a tablespoon to scrape out seeds and fibers.
• Place squash on a baking sheet, season lightly with salt and pepper, and drizzle each squash with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove from oven.
• In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion sweats but does not brown, about 4 minutes.
• Add cooked wild rice and cooked white rice to the skillet and stir to combine. Add chopped pecans, dried cranberries and ricotta salata and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stuff each acorn squash with about 1/4 of stuffing mixture, packing stuffing into squash cavity and mounding it slightly. Drizzle each squash with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and bake until squash is tender and stuffing browns slightly, about 40 minutes.

WILD RICE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 baking pans, and place the cleaned-out squash, cut sides down, into the pans. Bake in the preheated oven until barely soft to the touch, about 25 minutes.
• Make the stuffing mix as instructed on the package, and set aside.
• Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan, and cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook and stir until they give up their juice, about 5 more minutes. Add the rice mix and sage, and cook and stir the rice and vegetables until the vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer the rice mixture until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Lightly mix the cooked rice mixture with the stuffing in a bowl, and pile the mixture into the centers of the squash without packing it. Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake until the squash are tender and the stuffing is hot, about 15 more minutes.

AUTUMN ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Cut squash in half and discard seeds; set squash aside.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook turkey until no longer pink; drain.
• Add egg, rice, apple, cranberries, celery, salt, parsley, allspice and cardamom.
• Spoon into squash halves; place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2" baking dish. Fill dish with hot water to a depth of 1/2 inches
• Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until the squash is tender.
• Yield: 4 servings.