Squash: You love to eat, but you don’t love to peel it. Squash skin is so tough you have to bake it before handling. Even then, it’s better to simply scoop out the creamy innards to make soups, pies and casseroles. Delicata squash is different. The skin is so soft and tender, you can slice straight through – no greased-up knife, needed. That means when you go to make this roasted and stuffed delicata squash with forbidden rice and buttery coconut oil, you can eat the whole kit and caboodle. What’s not to love?
Ingredients
3 medium-sized delicata squash
1 cup forbidden rice
1 Tbsp. butter-flavored coconut oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
8 oz. mushrooms, washed, trimmed and diced
2 tsp. dried sage
2 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash squash. Using a serrated knife, cut off stem end and slice squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds.
- Season inside of squash with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Place squash cut side down on prepared baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes, or until squash is tender. Pierce squash with a fork to test.
- Let squash cool while you prepare stuffing.
- Cook forbidden rice according to package directions and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, add coconut oil, onion, celery and garlic. Saute 4-5 minutes, or until veggies are softened.
- Add mushrooms, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and continue to saute until mushrooms have softened.
- Add sautéed vegetables and half toasted walnuts to cooked rice. Stir to combine.
- Stuff squash with rice filling. Sprinkle remaining walnuts over top.
- To enjoy leftovers, warm squash in oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley.