Sunburst Squash Stuffed With Spinach And GruyÈre Recipes

CREAMED SPINACH WITH GRUYERE

Steps:

• Coat a large, straight-sided saute pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper and cook until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard.
• Add half of the spinach to the pan, season with salt and saute until gently wilted. Remove the spinach from the pan to a towel-lined colander set inside a bowl to let the spinach drain and cool. Repeat the process with the remaining garlic and spinach and another pinch of crushed red pepper. Squeeze the towel to remove most of the liquid from the spinach.
• Remove any liquid from the bottom of the saute pan and coat lightly with olive oil. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the shallots and season with salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Saute until the shallots are translucent and very aromatic, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the butter and, when melted, stir in the flour. Cook until it is the texture of wet sand, 5 to 6 minutes. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Taste for seasoning and season with salt, if needed, (it will). Bring the milk and heavy cream to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally so the milk doesn't scorch on the bottom. Stir in the Gruyere and Parmigiano until melted. Add the reserved spinach and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with a sprinkle of Parmigiano and serve.

ACORN SQUASH WITH SPINACH STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Fill pan with hot water to a depth of 1/2 in. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes., Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute celery and onions in oil until tender. Add the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook and stir until spinach is wilted. , In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, pecans and remaining salt. Drain water from baking pan. Turn squash cut side up. Stuff with spinach mixture; sprinkle crumb mixture over top. Dot with butter. Bake 15 minutes longer or until the squash is tender.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH SPINACH AND GRUYERE

Steps:

• Rinse the squash and cut each in half lenghthwise: scoop out and discard seeds; Place squash halves, cut side down, in a 10-by-15 inch pan.
• Bake in a 400 degree regular or convection oven until squash is just tender when pierced, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, squeeze moisture from spinach; in a bowl, mix spinach, 3/4 cup cheese and walnuts; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• With tongs or a spatula, turn squash halves over and spoon spinach mixture equally into cavities of squash; Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
• Return squash to oven and bake until cheese melts and filling is hot in the center, 15 to 20 minutes, Serve.

RICE STUFFED SUNBURST / PATTY PAN SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Use a saute pan (with a lid) that will fit your 4 whole squash evenly. Add about 3 inches of water, lightly salt it and bring to a boil. Make sure your squash sit nice and flat -- cut off a bit on the bottom if need be, just not too much or you'll go through.
• Place your squash in the boiling water, cover and allow it to cook for about 10 minutes, until just fork tender. While the squash cooks, chop up your other ingredients.
• Once the squash is done, remove them gently and set them aside. Drain the water and clean out your pan.
• Returning the pan to the stove, heat the 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for just a few minutes, watching it doesn't burn.
• Add in the raw rice and stir to coat. Add in the broth and bring to a boil. Depending on your broth, you may want to season with salt and pepper. Once at a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Cook for 45 minutes - at which time the rice should be cooked and liquid fully absorbed. (Depending on your rice, you may need slightly longer).
• While the rice cooks, cut the tops off of the squash (just below the green part). You want enough of a opening to work with, without wasting too much of the squash. Next, scoop out some of the insides being careful not to break through the sides or bottom. I like to score a circle using a paring knife and then scoop out with a regular teaspoon. It's basically the seedy part you want to remove, you don't have to take much from around the sides. You can chop up parts of what you scoop out and add it into the rice mixture. Set your squash aside again.
• Preheat your oven to 375. Have a baking dish ready (lightly oiled, or foil if you prefer).
• When the rice is done, take it off the heat and add in the 1/2 cup of parmesan, the fresh basil and spinach. Mix.
• Time to assemble. Using the 1 tsp of olive oil, lightly brush the outsides of the squash. Next, stuff the rice mixture into the hollow -- you can pack quite a bit in there, and have a bit overflowing on top. Place into the baking dish and finish by sprinkling the 1 tbsp of parmesan over top.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

SUNBURST SQUASH STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND GRUYÈRE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Fill a large pot three-fourths full of water and bring to a rolling boil. Drop the squash into the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain well and let cool. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each squash, removing just enough so that it will stand upright. Then slice off the tops (approximately 1/2 inch thick) and hollow out the centers, leaving a thin shell. Set aside. (Reserve the nominal amount of squash removed from the centers for another use or simply discard.) In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and sauté approximately 10 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the soy sauce and add the spinach. Raise the heat to medium-high. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes, or until the spinach is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly, then season with the nutmeg, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Stir in the egg and 1/2 cup of the Gruyère and mix well. Mound the mixture into the hollowed-out squas