Squash Stuffed with Rice Medley

To me, nothing says autumn like squash, especially the baby dumpling variety, which resembles a miniature pumpkin.

Squash strengthens the immune system and is an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, folate, iron and magnesium.

Cut a squash in half across its girth, and it turns into its own individual serving bowl. Squash stuffed with rice medley is one of those dishes that, once put together, looks almost too pretty to eat.

Take a moment for aesthetic appreciation, then dive in and experience an explosion of flavor.

**Cook’s Notes: If you can’t find Japonica rice, use a cup of wild/brown rice blend or basmati rice. To reheat leftovers, put the stuffed squash in a covered baking dish and reheat at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until warmed through.

Also, a little prep goes a long way: Roast your squash in advance and make the rice a day ahead. For extra protein, add lentils to the rice mixture.

Ingredients

Squash

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

6–8 baby dumpling or acorn squash, tops cut off, center and seeds scooped out

Rice Medley

1 cup brown and wild rice blend

1 cup Forbidden rice or Japonica rice

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, diced

1 cup celery, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped

2 pippin, Granny Smith or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried sage

½ cup dried cranberries, currants or raisins

1 cup roasted pistachios, chopped

Preparation

Squash

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

3. Combine olive oil, salt, allspice, red pepper flakes and cinnamon.

4. Brush insides of squash with spice mixture.

5. Arrange squash cut side down on pan and roast for 20–25 minutes, until tender. Check at 20 minutes, touching top with finger. If they’re soft, remove from oven and cover with foil until ready for assembly.

Rice Medley

1. In two saucepans bring 2 cups of water in each to a boil with ½ teaspoon salt in each pan.

2. Add one type of rice to each pan, return to boil, cover and decrease heat to low. Simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Transfer both types of rice to one sheet pan and rake with fork to separate grains.

4. While rice is cooking, heat olive oil in pan. Add onion and pinch of salt; sauté 5 minutes, until golden.

5. Add celery, shallots and apples; sauté 3 minutes more.

6. Add thyme, sage and cranberries and sauté 2 minutes more.

7. Deglaze pan with 2 tablespoons water.

8. In large bowl combine vegetable-apple mixture with the rice.

9. To assemble, scoop rice mixture into squashes. Serve each squash topped with roasted pistachios.

Serves 6–8