Whew, 2020 squashed us in all the wrong ways. But it’s a new year. (Thank the gourd.) And we’re here to help you squash — in all the right ways — those 2021 cooking aspirations.
If you’re setting any sort of health-related goals this year, plants are always your friend. In the words of the almighty Michael Pollan, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” And in the words of Living on the Vedge, “Do all that. And don’t skimp on the veggie puns and kitchen laughter.”
We’re kicking off the year with a nutritious and hearty acorn squash recipe. It features a savory wild rice stuffing that’s packed with buttery pecans, sweet cranberries, and a pinch of dried thyme. The stuffing makes for a delicious side all on its own, but load it into creamy baked squash, and it becomes a satisfying meal.
Here’s a year of more plant-powered fun ahead. Cheers.
Roasted acorn squash with wild rice, pecan, and cranberry stuffing
- January 1, 2021
- Serves 2, generously
- Print this
Ingredients
- 1 large acorn squash, halved and seeds removed (or your other favorite winter variety
- adjust baking time accordingly)
- 1 cup wild rice
- 3 cups vegetable broth (ideally a mushroom broth)
- ½ Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1.5 Tbsp. vegan butter, divided
- 2 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼-1/2 tsp. salt, plus a sprinkle to season (depending on how salty your broth is)
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly coat acorn squash halves with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Place squash, skin-side down, on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until squash is fork tender, flipping halfway. Remove from oven and drizzle inside of squash with ½ Tablespoon vegan butter.
- Step 2
- Meanwhile, in a medium pot, 1 Tablespoon vegan butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until shallots are translucent. Add the thyme and rice, and toast rice for two minutes, stirring regularly. Add broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45-55 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Adjust salt, if needed. There should be enough saltiness for the stuffing to taste delicious on its own.
- Step 3
- Remove from heat, and toss with cranberries, pecans, and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Mound the wild rice stuffing into each squash half. (You may have some leftover stuffing.) Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
