Sketching Out Blog: Sketches of art, watercolor, photos, recipes, books, interviews, Jewish topics, and Highland Park, New Jersey
Stuffed Squash Workshop
An acorn squash among my parsley
I decided to call this post a workshop instead of a recipe, because you can choose a variety of stuffing ingredients to create your version of this dish.
First, bake the acorn squash until tender. I bake the squash whole for about an hour in a 350° oven. You can do the baking the day before you use it, if you like.
Now prepare your stuffing. You have so many choices! Klara sent me a few of her ideas, so if the ingredient was Klara’s idea, I’ll say so. (Thank you, Klara). And thanks for some mango tips from Helen and from Alyssa.
Meat
- For carnivores, sauté some onions in a bit of olive oil. Add chopped meat (hamburger meat). When chopped meat is cooked, you have a meat ingredient.
Dairy
- If you want just a bit of cheesy flavor, add some of your favorite hard cheese to the stuffing.
Vegan or Pareve Ingredients
You could make your squash with just pareve ingredients, if you like. Or you can mix it some of these pareve ingredients with your chopped meat. Or you can mix the pareve ingredients with a bit of cheese. (As I keep kosher, I wouldn't dare think of mixing the dairy and meat in one dish).
Grain Possibilities
I like mixing in cooked whole grains in my stuffing: brown rice, wild rice, millet, couscous, bulghur wheat, barley, kasha, quinoa or oatmeal. You could also mix in some leftover bread, such as challah or a multigrain bread. Soak and drain the dried bread before using.
Herbs one could use
So many! Try parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, depending on what you like and what is available locally. Chop and add to your mixed grains.
Vegetable Ideas
Klara told me she loves stuffed squash with shitake mushrooms. Sounds delightful to me!
One could also use: tomatoes, onions, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic or celery. You will probably want to cook one of these ingredients a bit before using, either steam or sauté.
Fruit
You can even add fruit: chopped apple, cranberries, raisins or clementines. Lemon juice or fresh orange juice can add nice flavor, too.
Helen's suggestion: mango
Alyssa's suggestion: Costco's mango salsa (brand is Santa Barbara and it has an O-U kosher certification - thanks, Helen)
Beans, Nuts
You would definitely need to use cooked beans. If you don't feel up to cooking some beans, there are many varieties that come in a can (cannellini, great northern beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, to name a few). For nuts, I would mash in the food processor first.
Soy Products
Klara suggested tofu (cubed or mashed), seitan or tempeh (best marinated and then cooked).
Spices
Salt, pepper, turmeric, oregano, cumin, coriander are all possibilities, but I wouldn't put in too many different spices in one dish.
Combo Ideas
Quinoa, pecans, dried cherries, and sauteed veggies like onion, celery, shitake mushrooms, and carrot seasoned with holiday spices like sage,
rosemary, thyme, and parsley in my squash. MMMMmmmmmm.. ... (A Klara acquaintance)
Like you stuff chicken, with croutons, onions, mushrooms, celery and sage! and salt (How Klara used to do it)
For even more ideas, see Mimi in her Israeli Kitchen on Stuffed Stuff.
Mix your stuffing ingredients, cut your squash in half, stuff each half, and bake in a casserole dish for about twenty minutes before serving.
Happy creating, and happy Thanksgiving.
Ilana-Davita says
Wow! What a great post for a vegetable I had never seen until a few minutes ago, although I know the French name for it (courge). The ones I had seen before were a different color.
One question - well, at least for now - when you use grains, do you add an egg or two to bind the different ingredients together?
Ilana-Davita, no, no need for an egg. If you saute some onions and maybe some mushrooms, the oil (or butter) from the saute can help hold the grains together. "Bind" is too strong a word; that sounds more like a kugel.
And now I'm going to Google 'acorn squash', to find out if it is native to America...
My daughter, who is a very picky eater (what eight year old isn't) loves my baked acorn squash. I'm about to test out spaghetti squash with leek, ginger, agave nectar and spices but I suspect she won't go for the seasoning...the adults will.
Hi, Leora,
I think this is an excellent blog! You give some great ideas for acorn squash and stuffings. And I like your response to Ilana-Davita. So what did you find out? Native to America or no...?
LouAnn
Ilana-Davita says
Wow! What a great post for a vegetable I had never seen until a few minutes ago, although I know the French name for it (courge). The ones I had seen before were a different color.
One question - well, at least for now - when you use grains, do you add an egg or two to bind the different ingredients together?
Leora says
Ilana-Davita, no, no need for an egg. If you saute some onions and maybe some mushrooms, the oil (or butter) from the saute can help hold the grains together. "Bind" is too strong a word; that sounds more like a kugel.
And now I'm going to Google 'acorn squash', to find out if it is native to America...
The Jewish Side says
Wow, I've never seen such a large squash, I always thought it looked like a big cucumber.
The meat one sounds great. So many ideas, you could like open a whole restaurant that just sells squash related food's.
Helen says
The mango salsa from Costco has OU certification. (the brand is called Santa Barbara)
Michelle says
Wonderful idea..and nobody but me likes squash...@:{
Helen says
My daughter, who is a very picky eater (what eight year old isn't) loves my baked acorn squash. I'm about to test out spaghetti squash with leek, ginger, agave nectar and spices but I suspect she won't go for the seasoning...the adults will.
LouAnn Baldwin says
Hi, Leora,
I think this is an excellent blog! You give some great ideas for acorn squash and stuffings. And I like your response to Ilana-Davita. So what did you find out? Native to America or no...?
LouAnn
Leora says
LouAnn, thanks for visiting. I don't know about the acorn squash, whether it is native to America. I just googled it, but I couldn't find any info.
Please leave a comment! I love to hear from you.