Middle Eastern Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipes

ACORN SQUASH WITH MIXED-GRAIN STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush a baking sheet with oil. Mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, and coriander; sprinkle inside of squashes with spice mixture. Place squashes on sheet, cut-sides down, and roast until just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Turn cut-sides up and fill with stuffing, mounding slightly (you should use about 3/4 cup in each squash half). These can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before baking. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, until heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve, with relish and sprinkled with toasted almonds and parsley.

MOROCCAN-STYLE STUFFED ACORN SQUASHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squashes, cut sides down, in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a 4-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, a pinch each cinnamon and nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer beef to a bowl or plate using a slotted spoon, keeping as much cooking liquid in the pot as possible.
• Add onion, and cook until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining teaspoon salt and the bulgur, and stir to combine. Add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, and add reserved beef, the raisins, parsley, and pine nuts.
• Scrape out baked squashes, forming 1/4-inch-thick bowls, and fold flesh into bulgur mixture. Divide among squash halves, and return to oven. Bake until warmed through and tops are browned, 12 to 14 minutes.

MOROCCAN-STYLE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
• Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings. Place squash cut side down in a shallow baking dish and fill with 1/4" of water. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
• In the meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat, whisking constantly. Watch closely as brown flecks begin to appear. As soon as the butter turns a caramel brown color and has a nutty fragrance (this should take between 4-6 minutes; do not allow the butter to turn black), remove from the heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil, cinnamon and cardamom. Note: Can add additional spices, like ground coriander, ground cumin, red or black pepper.
• Add the 1 1/3 cup water and quinoa to the same saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 17 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.
• Toss 2 cups of the quinoa with the seasoned brown butter, cashews, apricots and mint. Cover the quinoa mixture to keep it warm if the squash needs more time to finish baking.
• Equally divide the quinoa filling among the four squash halves. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.