Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

This incredible vegan dish tastes so rich that few will believe that is has no meat or dairy.  We adapted our recipe from a version presented in Annie Somerville’s 1993 Fields of Greens cookbook by using the indigenous North American crops of cranberries and pecans.  While we used small acorn squash any 1 pound winter squash will work just fine. 

4 small winter squash, cut in half with seeds removed
Olive oil
½ cup wild rice
3 tablespoons golden raisins
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
½ cup hot water
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red onion, finely diced
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup fennel bulb, finely diced
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons toasted pecan pieces
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375º F.  Lightly brush squash halves with olive oil and place cavity-side down on a baking sheet.  Bake until just barely tender, at least 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn cavity side up. 

Cover wild rice with ample water and bring to a boil in a small pot.  Cover, reduce to simmer, and cook until tender, about 45 minutes.  Drain and reserve.

Cover raisins and cranberries with hot water and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  Drain and reserve.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium.  Add onion and salt and sauté until onions have softened, about 5-8 minutes.  Add in the garlic and fennel, and continue sautéing another 5 minutes.  Add in the white wine and simmer until it has almost completely evaporated.

Place toss the cooked wild rice, plumped raisins and cranberries, sauté mixture, pecans and black pepper in a bowl.  Divide evenly among the 8 squash halves, and place stuffing side up in a roaster pan filled with ¼” water.  Cover and bake for another 35-45 minutes until the squash is well cooked. 

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