Stuffed Acorn Squash

I hate winter. I don't participate in winter activities, I slip on the ice, I'm constantly late for things and I just don't like the cold. Well, today I am getting ready because we are starting to see snow... ugh. I doubt anything will stick, but the fact that it can snow at all right now makes me sad.

I think the only saving grace of the long Alberta winter is the fact that I haven't roasted vegetables, used a slow cooker or made soup in a long, long time. I am pretty excited to switch off of the summer dishes and start finding new things to make that will make me forget that it is getting colder. If winter was only 4 months long I maybe wouldn't mind, but I am going to try and not think about that right now. Right now, I am ready to make fall and winter foods.

Tonight, I am attempting to join a competitive swim team. I have worked out consistently in years and haven't swam competitively or even regularly in over 4 years now. I know this first practice and probably the next few weeks are not going to be fun, but I think it is way overdue that I get involved in something other than couch surfing.

I figured if I am going to brave the cold and the sleet to jump into a pool at 8:30 at night, I better make something heartwarming.

I was looking through my Candle 79 cookbook and found an amazing recipe for stuffed squash. It sounded fairly easy to make and wouldn't take a lot of work. On top of that, roasted squash is a perfect way to get into fall foods. I decided to adapt the recipe a bit so I could share it with everyone, so here is my version.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
* Serves 1-2 about 30-40 min to make
* Adapted from Candle 79 Cafe Cookbook

• 1 cup cooked brown rice (cook in broth)
• 1 Acorn Squash halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1/2 - 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 5-6 mushrooms sliced 
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/2 - 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp Siracha sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp dry time
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

First have cooked rice ready or make your rice. I used broth in the water to give it some extra flavour. If you don't do this, maybe increase the soy sauce.

Now, pre-heat oven to 350 F. brush the squash with oil, maple syrup and cinnamon and place in oven to bake for 20-30 min or until tender. To know if it is ready, you should be able to pierce it with a fork, but not so soft that you go right through the skin.

Took a lot of work to get this thing chopped in half. Sharpen your knife!

Ready to roast

While the squash is cooking, add a little oil to a skillet. Once hot, add the celery, carrot and shallot and cook until tender and golden. Add in the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Now add int he mushrooms and stir. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and release juices. Once this happens add in the soy sauce  Siracha and seasoning and stir to combine. Add in the rice and heat through. 

Make the stuffing in steps - First the base vegetables

Then the mushrooms and spices

then the rice

By now the squash should be ready. Take it out of the oven and scoop in the stuffing. Return to the oven for 15 minutes or so. let cool a little and add some parsley and serve!

Looks pretty good! Would be nice for a small dinner party

I posted this was a recipe for 1-2 people. I ate the whole thing and it was slightly more than I needed to eat. This would be great with some baked tofu or tempeh with it. The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was that it was hard to get all the squash out. In the future, I would plate it outside of the squash. The original recipe called for a gravy to top it, but I didn't think I needed it. If you want, add a mushroom gravy when serving.

I think sometime soon, I need to break out the slow cooker. Looking outside right now and all I want is a bowl of soup... definitely a sign that winter is around the corner.