Title: Stuffed Small Squashes with American Rice Pilaf
Categories: Post3
Yield: 4 servings

1/2 c Slivered almonds
Nonstick cooking spray
2 Acorn or Delicata squashes;
-halved lengthwise,
And seeded
2 tb Vegetable oil or butter -;
-(to 3 tbspns)
1 sm Onion; minced
1 c Long-grain white rice
2 c Vegetable stock; chicken
-stock
Or water
1 Bay leaf
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 c Dried cranberries
1/4 ts Ground cinnamon
1 ts Finely grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (you can bake the squash at any temperature
between 325 and 400 degrees; adjust timing accordingly). Toast almonds on
baking sheet in oven, stirring once or twice until very lightly browned,
about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate. Lightly coat heavy roasting pan with
cooking spray. Add water about 1/4 inch deep. Place squash halves in pan,
cut-sides down. Bake about 40 minutes or until tender when pierced with
fork. Remove from oven. (To cook squash in microwave: Place 1 halved
squash, cut-side down, in baking dish containing about 1/4 inch water.
Cover and cook acorn squash about 12 minutes or Delicata squash 8 minutes,
until just tender. Remove from pan. Repeat with second squash.) About 30
minutes before squash is ready, prepare pilaf: Heat oil in deep skillet or
saute pan. Add onion; saute over low heat until soft but not brown, about 5
minutes. Add rice; increase heat to medium and saute, stirring, about 2
minutes. Add stock, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.
Stir once. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Add cranberries
without stirring. Cover; cook about 8 minutes, until rice is just tender.
Discard bay leaf. Fluff rice lightly with fork; lightly stir in cinnamon,
orange rind and almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning. Fill squash halves
with stuffing. Place in roasting pan, stuffing-side up. Bake until stuffing
is hot, about 10 minutes. Serve remaining stuffing separately. Yield: 4
servings.

Recipe Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 11-16-1998 By Faye Levy

Formatted for MasterCook by Susan Wolfe - swolfe1@prodigy.net

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.