Sausages with Acorn Squash and Onions

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, December 2012

1 large acorn squash, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges

3 T. olive oil

sea salt and pepper

4 hot or sweet Italian sausages (3/4 lb. total)

1/2 c. grated aged Asiago cheese (2 oz.)

1 T. chopped fresh sage leaves

1/4 c. dried cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss squash and onion with oil and arrange in an even layer; season with salt and pepper.  Add sausages to sheet.  Roast until vegetables are just tender, 15-18 minutes.  Heat broiler.  Sprinkle Asiago and sage over vegetables and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling and sausages are cooked through, 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with cherries to serve.

Currried Beef-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Here's another Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe!  I still have a few acorn squash left from the fall....
If you plan ahead, you can save some cooked rice from a prior meal to use in this recipe.

Source:  Adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

3 medium acorn squash (about 1 pound each), halved and seeded

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. shopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. beef bouillon granules

1/2 c. hot water

1/2 c. cooked rice

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 t. brown sugar

1 t. curry powder

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil cut edges of squash with olive oil. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange squash, cut side down. Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain.  Dissolve bouillon in water; add to skillet.  Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well.  Fill cooked squash halves with meat mixture.  If necessary, reduce oven heat to 350 degrees, cover filled squash halves loosely with foil, and return squash to oven to reheat.

Wild-Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

Oooh, this was downright yummy!  I tried it the other evening, but didn't have wild rice on hand so I substituted quinoa instead.  It was OK, but much better with the rice - the chewy rice complements the soft texture of the roasted squash.  The wild rice blend adds more color, too (although I still don't understand why it's so expensive!).  And, the caramelized edges of the squash is pretty!  I still have some dried cherries on hand from last summer (compliments of my friend Elma's sour cherry tree!), and the garlic was grown in Silver Spring, so this truly is a local dish.  :)

Source:  adapted from Everyday Food, November 2006

Note:  the recipe is for one acorn squash - multiply as needed.

1 acorn squash (1 1/2 lb.), halved lengthwise, seeds removed*

1 T. butter

1 small onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 t. dried sage

sea salt

pepper

1/2 c. wild and brown rice blend

7/8 c. water

1/4 c. dried cherries

1/4 c. pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Oil cut edges of squash with olive oil.  On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange squash, cut side down.  Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 30-40 minutes.

 Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and sage.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3-5 minutes.  Add rice and water; bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook until tender, without stirring, about 35-40 minutes.

Remove rice from heat; stir in cherries and pecans.  Season with salt and pepper.  Season inside of each squash half with salt and pepper.  Mound rice mixture into squash halves and serve.

Serves 2

*Note: Use a long serrated knife to easily halve the acorn squash neatly.
And, don't forget to roast the squash seeds! Here's the link.

Update, 12/25/10:
I served the rice mixture as a pilaf for Christmas dinner today.  I was a bit frazzled and didn't read the recipe correctly - I missed adding some of the seasonings, but it was still good!

Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds

I like these even better than pumpkin seeds - they're a little more delicate.

Here's the link to the recipe I posted earlier this fall:

http://andreainseason.blogspot.com/2010/10/roasted-winter-squash-seeds.html



Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

Pumpkins aren't the only squash that yield tasty seeds for roasting - be sure to try butternut or acorn squash as well!

Source:  allrecipes.com

1 c. winter squash seeds

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, or use a non-stick baking sheet.

After removing the seeds from the squash, rinse with water, and remove any strings and bits of squash.  pat dry, and place in a small bowl.  Stir olive oil and salt into the seeds until evenly coated.  Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until seeds start to pop.  (Pumpkin seeds may take a bit longer.)  Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet before serving.