Whole Foods Lifestyle - Couple of Whole Foods Fall Recipes




Glory87
10-14-2006, 12:39 AM
Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 60 min
Yield: 6 side-dish servings

If your market doesn't carry the kind of squash specified in this recipe, substitute any hard-skinned winter variety of squash.

Ingredients:


1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/3 cup wild rice, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped leeks
1/3 cup long grain rice
6 small winter squash (such as acorn, Sweet Dumpling, or Golden Nugget), each about 3-1/2 to 4 inches in diameter
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried currants
1/4 cup snipped dried apricots
2 tablespoon butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 6-to 8-inch twig wreaths (optional)
6 fresh pansies or other edible flowers (optional)
6 fresh sage leaves (optional)


Preparation:


In a heavy medium saucepan bring the chicken broth and thyme to a boil. Add the wild rice. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the leeks and long grain rice. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes more or until rice is tender. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain excess liquid, if necessary.
Meanwhile, wash squash and cut off the top third including the stem end. With a teaspoon, remove seeds. Place squash, cut sides down, in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Turn cut sides up. Cover pan with foil and bake about 20 minutes more or until tender. Remove from oven. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine rice mixture, dried cranberries or currants, and dried apricots. Stir in melted margarine or butter, salt and pepper.
Mound stuffing into squash. Place in a shallow baking pan and bake in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven about 10 minutes or until heated through. Serve atop twig wreaths, if desired. Garnish plate with pansies or other edible flowers and sage leaves, if desired.



Squash Risotto


INGREDIENTS


1 1/2 cup cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice or medium grain rice
3 cups water
2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
3 - 4 dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese



DIRECTIONS


In a covered large saucepan cook squash over medium heat in a small amount of boiling water about 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain and remove from pan; set aside.

In the same saucepan, cook mushrooms and onion in hot oil until tender. Stir in rice. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

In another saucepan bring water, bouillon granules, and hot pepper sauce to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer. Slowly add 1 cup of the bouillon mixture to the rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add 1-1/2 cups more bouillon mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the broth has been absorbed. (This should take about 15 minutes.)

Stir squash and remaining bouillon mixture into rice mixture. Cook and stir gently until rice is slightly creamy and just tender. Stir in cheese. Spoon into serving bowl. Makes 6 side-dish servings.


alinnell
10-14-2006, 12:07 PM
I made butternut risotto last year--heavenly! It's even easier when you buy the squash already cut up and ready to be steamed (TJ's has it).

wndranne
10-14-2006, 07:47 PM
Glory, that sounds awesome! This was my all-time favorite holiday recipe back when I was single, vegetarian, and had lots of time on my hands:

2 c raw millet
1 c raisins
Sherry to cover the raisins
1 lg pumpkin, ~14 inch diameter
3 oz margarine (vegan)
3/4 lb apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 lb pears, peeled and sliced
3/4 c slivered almonds
1/2 c dried apricot, chopped
4 tbsp mild honey
1/2 tsp each, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste

1. Cook millet, soak raisins in sherry. Drain raisins about 30 min.
2. Preheat oven to 325F
3. Cut out top of pumpkin and scrape out seeds and strings. Using a spoon, scrape out a layer of flesh from the inside of pumpkin, being careful not to break through. Remove about 1 lb. Dice, steam until tender, set aside.
4. Heat 2 T of margarine and saute apples, pears, almonds and apricots about 5 min. A 2 T honey, spices, cooked millet, steamed pumpkin and sea salt. Cook together, stirring for a few minutes and remove from heat.
5. Melt remaining margarine and stir in remaining honey. Add a little cinnamon and brush inside of pumpkin with mixture. Spoon filling into pumpkin and replace lid. Bake 1 hr on oiled baking sheet or in a large baking dish.

Adapted from: Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts by Martha Rose Shulman

Anne


WaterRat
10-15-2006, 08:42 PM
Oh my, what delicious sounding stuff! I have a medium sized hard-skinned squash sitting on my kitchen counter, and I have wild rice! I'm substituting onions for leeks, and I'm good to go! Thanks Glory. :)

Edit to add: This was delicious! :) I used a large Sweet Mama squash, onions instead of leeks, and raisins in place of the other fruits. My DH and I split a 1/2 squash, and I had some left over stir-fried zucchini/tomato/onions/mushrooms with it. And we have another 1/2 squash for later in the week.