Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice

This was Acorn Squash stuffed with Wild Rice.

I had never bought and cooked acorn squash before. When I would like to taste squash or pumpkin, I usually buy butternut squash or canned pumpkin because they are sweet meaty and easy to deal with. But as a squash/pumpkin lover, I like to explore new kinds of those. So I bought two acorn squashes, and pondered what I shall do with them.

Many recipes for acorn squash seemed roasting, or roasting & stuffing something in it. I wanted to make a main dish for dinner with the acorn squashes along with some vegetables and/or grains. Stuffed versions sounded good. It was a great vegetarian dish. After checked multiple recipes, I had an idea: wild rice, vegetable, herbs, nuts, and dried fruit.

Here my stuffed acorn squashes are. I liked the texture and taste of baked acorn squash, which I thought was like sweet potato. I was also pleased with the simple but flavorful stuffing. However, there was just one thing I would like to improve - some wild rice on the surface became very crunchy after baked. Since the acorn squashes were baked until tender before stuffed, and the stuffing were fully precooked, I guess the stuffed squashes would be OK with just quick baking. We'll see how I could cook better next time.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice
MAKES 4

2 acorn squash, halved, seeded
1 tbs butter, melted
1 tbs brown sugar
salt and pepper

Stuffing
3/4 cup wild rice
1 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery, finely chopped
1 tbs sage leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup roasted walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
salt and pepper

1. Place acorn squashes inside up on a baking sheet, brush butter over the cut surfaces. Sprinkle sugar, salt and pepper over the squashes. Roast in the oven, at 450 F, about 40 min, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook wild rice with salted boild water about 45 min, or until soften, drain, set aside.
3. Saute onion and celery with olive oil until soften, remove from heat, add in cooked wild rice, sage,walnuts, and cherries, adjust taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon wild rice mixture into the roasted acorn squash. Bake 25 min. --> 10-15 min might make better results without drying up wild rice.