Stuffed & Roasted Acorn Squash

I tried this stuffed acorn squash today.  I had a couple really nice organic Acorn squash from Willow Grove Gardens and a couple little pumpkin from Isabelle's garden.  I used some homemade rosemary oil I made from my homegrown rosemary to brush the squash before stuffing. The recipe didn't mention adding any liquid to the stuffing.  I added vegetable stock, about a half cup at a time until the stuffing was the consistency I wanted.  I think I used about a cup and a half or so. I also poured about a tablespoon of stock on top of each one before baking.  We're having Thanksgiving a little everyday this week. Very nice vegan meal with a bowl of the creamy broccoli soup I made this weekend.

Ingredients:

    * 3 acorn squash
    * 2 tbsp margarine, softened
    * 2 tbsp olive oil
    * 1 onion, minced
    * 2 stalks celery, diced
    * 2 apples, chopped
    * 1/4 cup maple syrup
    * 1/2 cup raisins
    * 1/4 tsp parsley
    * 1/2 tsp dried sage
    * 1/2 tsp rosemary
    * 1/2 tsp thyme
    * salt and pepper to taste
    * 1 package store-bought cornbread stuffing mix (read the label to make sure it's vegan if needed)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400°.

Slice each acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Brush the squash with the softened margarine and set aside.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, celery and apple in the olive oil for 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat and add the maple syrup, raisins, herbs, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, mix together the stuffing mix with the onion, celery and apple mixture until well combined. Spoon this mix into each squash half.

Cover each squash with foil and bake 40-45 minutes, or until squash is soft. Serve with vegetarian gravy if desired and enjoy!

Recipe by Jolinda Hacket