GF, DF, Vegan.
The perfect vegan centrepiece main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday. Stuffed with super flavourful wild rice, cranberries, walnuts, and sage filling. Sage is an excellent antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps with balance blood sugars and lower cholesterol too and as an extra benefit- it helps with menopausal symptoms too!
Ingredients - Butternut Squash:
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Ingredients - Stuffing:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 5 mushrooms, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup wild rice or quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup white rice or just quinoa if using quinoa
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries or sultanas
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Method:
Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
To make the butternut squash: cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds, then put both halves on a baking tray, cut side up. Drizzle the olive oil on top of each squash and rub around to coat. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until the squash is cooked and fork tender. Leave it slightly undercooked as it’s better for stuffing and it will get softer later in the final bake.
Once baked, remove the squash from the oven. Let it cool enough so that you can handle it. Scoop out the flesh in the center of both squash halves, leaving about a 1-inch border all around. Set aside the scooped out squash flesh and chop it up.
To make the stuffing: whilst the squash is baking, you can prepare the stuffing. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot sauté the carrots, mushrooms, onion, and garlic until the veggies soften and begin to brown. Add the wild rice ( or quinoa ) and veggie broth to the pan, give it a stir, then cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Now add the white rice to the pan ( or skip this step of using quinoa ) , cover, and continue to cook another 8 to 10 minutes until the rice has cooked and fully absorbed the broth.
Add in the walnuts, dried cranberries, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. When ready, add in the scooped out and chopped squash flesh. Stir well to combine.
To stuff the squash: Pack in as much of the stuffing into both sides of the squash as you can. You will likely have leftovers, but I like to pack it in nice and firmly and make both sides heaping full. Pick up one squash half and flip it on top of the other. Use string to tie up the squash in few places holding it together.
When you are ready to bake, lightly brush the top with more olive oil. Bake for 20 to 35 minutes until hot all the way through. Season the top with cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of chopped sage. The slices are tender and will easily fall apart, to help hold them together use a wide spatula, and carefully transfer them to the plate. Slice and serve with garden salad your choice
