Stuffed Winter Squash w/ Lentils and Kale

When it’s peak season for winter squash, when the “meat” is wonderfully sweet,  this is a delicious and filling meal all by itself but is especially an attractive main dish for Thanksgiving.  It can be served individually in halved or quartered acorn squash, the “bowl” of a butternut squash (my personal favorite) or fill the center of a banana squash. (Although banana squash aren’t usually as sweet.) The savory flavor of the “stuffing” mixes so nicely with the “sweet” from the squash.  

If you have food allergies or intolerances and aren’t able to eat seeds or nuts, replace them with avocado. Just dice or mash avocado and mix it into the stuffing. Having trouble with legumes? Replace some or all with more wild rice. 

This recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites.

4 – 5 acorn squash or other winter squash

1/2 cup wild rice

1 cup green lentils

1 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth

2 medium onions, chopped

1 cup sliced celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chopped mushrooms, cremini or white button

1 large bunch of kale, finely chopped

2 1/2 T Holiday Herb Mix (See below)

1/2 cup roughly chopped pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or pecans

1/2 t pepper

Sea salt

Bake squash whole on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until soft. Let cool. Cut in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds and discard.

Boil 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 30 minutes until tender. Boil 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Add lentils, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Over medium-high heat, sauté onion, celery, garlic, and mushrooms in 1/2 cup water or broth until tender. Add chopped kale and 1/2 cup more liquid.  Cover, bring to boil, lower heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes. Add herbs and continue to cook until kale is tender. Add more broth or water if needed to keep from sticking. Add cooked lentils, rice, and pine nuts. Mix well and salt to taste. If needed, warm squash halves in 300 degree oven on a baking sheet before stuffing. Fill center of each squash half with lentil-kale mixture.  Fills about 8 – 10 acorn squash halves.

Holiday Herb Mix

1/4 cup rubbed dried sage

2 T dried marjoram

2 T dried rosemary

2 T dried thyme

Grind all herbs in a coffee grinder. Store in a glass container.