A Gobble Gobble Alternative

I don't know who ever saw the potential of acorn squash, or butternut squash for that matter, as a good thing to eat.  I mean, it has this really, really, REALLY hard skin and you need a really, really, REALLY big and sharp knife to get through it!  I suppose the early farmers had their machetes or something equivalent and just slashed right through the "shell", and they were rewarded with... more hard "flesh" and stringy "hair."  But you scoop out the strings & seeds, you roast the rest and voila!  A meal is born!

This year, I will be opting out of our traditional turkey and instead making a roasted acorn squash complete with "stuffing."  The squash has a nice wintry feel to it, slightly sweetened with a little maple syrup.  The rice has some elements of a traditional Thanksgiving stuffing like celery and new twists like red bell peppers and cashews.  This makes enough for 8 squash pieces or 4 squash with a bowl of stuffing as a side dish.

To begin:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (or 2) acorn squash, quartered.
Mix together syrup, oil and spices in small bowl.  Brush onto the center and sides of each squash piece.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until squash is soft and tender.

(Listed in the order that they are used)
2 tbsp canola oil, split
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup baby carrots, slivered
1 garlic clove, fine dice
1 package (2 cups) Trader Joe's Wild Rice Medley
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 bell pepper, small dice
1 granny smith apple, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup toasted cashews

Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan.  Add celery & carrots and saute for about 3-4 minutes.  Add additional oil to pan and add garlic, rice and broth.  When rice is cooked, remove from heat and add bell pepper and apple.  Toss.  The veggies wills till have some crunch to them, which is a nice contrast to the roasted acorn squash.

Spoon a generous helping into each squash and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!