Cranberry Walnut Rice Stuffed Squash Recipe
2012
Squash always reminds me of Thanksgiving and fall – harvest time. It’s real comfort food for me! ..and I am happy to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with just this and a big leaf salad and whatever other vegetables happen to be around. Also, I have turned a couple people on to actually liking squash, who previously didn’t, with this recipe and so I think it’s a winner!
I bought a huge local organic squash and because it was so big had to double the usual ingredients. I am posted what I used, but if you have a small to medium sized squash you can use half of the stuffing ingredients listed below.
Cranberry Walnut Rice Stuffed Squash Recipe
Ingredients
1 large Squash
Stuffing ingredients
Note – for a small squash use half the following ingredients:
6 cups cooked Brown Rice
2 cups Onion – chopped
1 cup Walnuts – in pieces or chopped
½ cup dried Cranberries
½ cup Golden Raisins
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup – or other sweetener, this is optional
2 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Ginger – fresh grated or powder
¼ tsp Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Cloves
Directions
Halve squash and scoop out seeds and inside so that the surface of the hollow part of the squash is smooth. Put rice in bowl with rest of ingredients and mix well together. Spoon into hollow cavity of the squash halves and press in. Place squash halves in a casserole dish or pan and cover with aluminum foil. Put squash in an oven heated to 400 degrees for an hour for a small squash to 1 ½ hours for a large one. Test with a fork by piercing into the orange flesh of squash, it is done if it is soft. If not, continue cooking until fleshy part of squash is soft. Take off aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking so stuffing turns lightly golden brown.
How to in Pictures
Cut squash in half, remove seeds and hollow out inside with a spoon.
Cook brown rice.
Assemble ingredients. Chop onions and walnuts if they are not already in small pieces.
..more ingredients: spices and maple syrup.
Put rice in a big bowl and add all of the rest of the stuffing ingredients to it.
Mix well and then spoon into hollowed out cavity of squash. Press stuffing in tight.
Place stuffed squash in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for an hour to to 1 ½ hours depending on size in an oven heated to 400 degrees. Take aluminum foil off for the last 10 minutes so rice turns a light golden brown.
When a fork pierces into flesh easily sqaush is ready. Take out of oven and cut into slices to serve.
