Delicious and beautiful!

Winter squash with rice, cranberries, and pecans

• 1 cup wild rice blend, such as Lundberg
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (divided)
• 1 cup water
• 8 carnival squash (1 pound each) or 16 small sweet dumpling squash or pumpkins (1/2 pound each) or a combination
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (about 8 slender leeks) (white part only)
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup dried (cranberries)
• 1 cup chopped (pecans)
• 3-4 ounces goat cheese   
•  
• In a medium saucepan, combine rice with 1 cup broth and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, until just al dente. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 425°. Cut off top ½ inch of squash; reserve tops. Trim bottoms if necessary to sit level. Scoop out seeds and strings. Brush insides with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and ground pepper. Place squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast until barely tender, about 20 minutes for small squash, 25 minutes for medium squash.
• Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until tender but not brown, 5–7 minutes. Add sage and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Add 3 cups cooked rice (save remainder for another use) and remaining ½ cup broth; simmer until heated through and liquid is absorbed, 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese. Taste, and adjust seasoning.
• Spoon rice mixture into each squash and drizzle remaining oil over top. Replace squash tops. Arrange squash in a roasting pan.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Bake squash for 20 minutes; then remove tops and continue to bake until heated through, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Replace tops and transfer squash to a serving platter.

PER SERVING (1 small or ½ medium squash): 336 cal, 16g fat (9g mono, 4g poly, 3g sat), 4mg chol, 8g protein, 47g carb, 5g fiber, 69mg sodium 

Ingredients

Chop leeks

Soften with olive oil and spices over low for 5-7 minutes

Mean while start rice with veg broth and water, simmer covered 35 minutes

Wash, cut tops off about 1/2 inch

Scoop out the strings and seeds… it’s easy!

Brush the inside with olive oil, then salt and pepper

Bake upside down at 425 for 20-25 minutes, until soft

Combine leeks and wild rice

Add in cranberries and feta cheese

Combine

Spoon into each squash

Place on top

Remove lid and finish baking ( I put the lids on the pan and continues baking til browned)

Yield: 6

Winter squash with rice, cranberries, and pecans...

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice blend, such as Lundberg
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
• 1 cup water
• 8 carnival squash, 1 pound each or 16 small sweet dumpling squash or pumpkins (1/2 pound each) or a combination
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks, about 8 slender leeks (white part only)
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup dried, cranberries
• 1 cup chopped, pecans
• 3-4 ounces goat cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine rice with 1 cup broth and 1 cup water.
2. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, until just al dente. Remove from heat.
3. Preheat oven to 425°. Cut off top ½ inch of squash; reserve tops.
4. Trim bottoms if necessary to sit level. Scoop out seeds and strings.
5. Brush insides with olive oil.
6. Sprinkle with coarse salt and ground pepper.
7. Place squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet.
8. Roast until barely tender, about 20 minutes for small squash, 25 minutes for medium squash.
9. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
10. Add leeks and cook until tender but not brown, 5–7 minutes.
11. Add sage and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat.
12. Add 3 cups cooked rice (save remainder for another use) and remaining ½ cup broth; simmer until heated through and liquid is absorbed, 4–5 minutes.
13. Remove from heat; stir in cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese. Taste, and adjust seasoning.
14. Spoon rice mixture into each squash and drizzle remaining oil over top. Replace squash tops. Arrange squash in a roasting pan.
15. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Bake squash for 20 minutes; then remove tops and continue to bake until heated through, about 10 minutes more.
16. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Replace tops and transfer squash to a serving platter.

• I can’t tell you how amazing these little winter squash are… we liked the carnival squash a little more than the pumpkins, they’re a little sweeter (like a butternut)! You’ll just have to give Winter squash with Rice, cranberries, and pecans recipe a try…  It’s so, so GOOD 🙂

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