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.
Raw Strawberry Pie
Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more vitamin C than citrus fruit. They are one of the “dirty dozen” so if you want to limit your pesticide exposure, only buy organic strawberries. This recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food Goodness.
25 pitted deglet dates
1/2 cup water
6 cups sliced strawberries
Soak dates in water to soften for blending. Blend 1 cup of straw-berries, dates and water until smooth. Pour this sauce over remaining strawberries. Pour over Raw Nut Crust. Let set for 1/2 hour.
Raw Nut Crust (for one pie)
1 cup almonds or other nuts and seeds
15 soft pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla
Chop finely in food processor until it starts to stick together. Press into a pie plate or 8×8 cake pan.
Red Lentils w/ Cabbage and Rice
This is one of my favorite Indian dishes. It’s simple to make, although it takes about 30 – 40 minutes to get the lentil to my desired tenderness so I cook them ahead of time. Once lentils are done, everything else comes together quickly.
1 1/4 cups dry red lentils
5 cups water
1 1/2 t turmeric
2 t cumin seed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced (or 1 t powder)
1 – 2 jalapeno chili peppers, minced (or canned/bottled)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 pounds green cabbage, coarsely grated or chopped
Boil water, add lentils, cover, lower heat to medium low and cook until tender. Stir in turmeric and continue to cook on low while preparing vegetables.
Cook cumin seeds in a hot skillet for 3 – 4 minutes until fragrant. (no oil needed) Add onion and saute until it starts to brown. Add garlic and stir 2 more minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, green chilies, ginger, tomatoes and cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is very tender. Stir in cooked lentils. Serve over cooked brown rice.
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