Stuffed Acorn Squash
from How to Eat Like a Vegetarian Even If You Never Want to Be One
(c) 2008 Patti Breitman and Carol J. Adams
A great Thanksgiving dish!
4 small acorn squash (no more than one pound each)
Oil
For the stuffing:
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 cup onions, finely chopped
2 cps mushrooms, sliced
1 cup celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
3 Tbls. tamari soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 cups whole wheat bread, cubes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots
Optional: add roasted chestnuts
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
* Cut the squashes in half across the width of the squash. Scoop the seeds out. Lightly coat the edges of the squash with oil, place on a baking sheet cut side down, and bake for about 40 minutes.
* Remove from the oven.
* Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic. Stir. Sprinkle poultry seasoning over vegetables. Dissolve the salt in the tamari and add to the pan. Stir, then cover, and continue to cook until the vegetables are done, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
* Add the cubed bread, parsley, and apricots. Mix well. Then cover and set aside for several ninutes. The bread should absorb the moisture from the vegetables. The stuffing should be well seasoned and moist, but not wet.
* The recipe can be prepared to this point ahead of time.
* Just before serving, stuff each squash without about 1/2 cup of stuffing. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until thoroughly heated.
Makes about 4 cups of stuffing. Serves 8 as a main dish, 16 as a side dish.