A Family That Eats Together: Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice

Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Here's her meal plan for this week.

I love shopping the grocery stores and farmer's markets this time of year. The colorful and often strange shaped gourds overfill bins and I start to wonder what to make with them. In this recipe, I blend the nutty taste of wild rice with the sweet taste of acorn squash to make a quick and easy vegetarian dinner. This dish is rich and complex and very satisfying. It can be served as a simple side or can hold it's own. It would also be a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.

Serving: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the squash:

• 1 large acorn squash, sliced in half an de-seeded
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

For the rice:

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dried cherries, rehydrated in hot water and drained
• 3/4 cup candied pecans
• crumbled feta cheese
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
2. Place the squash cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle oil over the top of each squash and season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash uncovered for 45 minutes or until they are fork tender.
3. While the squash are cooking, place the rinsed and drained rice and stock in a large pot. Bring them to a boil and then reduce them to a slow simmer for 40 minutes. Wild rice has a "bite" to it and is chewier than regular rice so taste it to make sure it is done to your liking. Drain and fluff. Reserve for them for the skillet.
4. Approximately 35 minutes into the rice cooking, heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the cherries and sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in the cooked rice and pecans. Season with salt and pepper
5. Spoon the rice into the center of each squash. Garnish with feta cheese and serve immediately.