I love the Well Blog at The New York Times. They always have great recipe ideas and the photographs they post make my mouth water. There are many things to love about the Well Blog, but I especially love that each year they feature vegetarian Thanksgiving ideas.
Think about it: is turkey really the best part of Thanksgiving? I think not. For me, it’s all about sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and sweet, little pearl onions. There are so many beautiful things at the market this time of year. Even if you refuse to leave out the turkey, at least consider making vegetables a bigger, more exciting part of your meal. You’ll serve and enjoy a colorful, delicious, nutrient-rich spread.
One of my favorite vegetarian dishes for Thanksgiving is Acorn Squash stuffed with Cranberry Brown Rice. It’s perfect for a holiday feast, but if you can’t wait, serve it for dinner with you favorite autumn greens. I recommend hearty, delicious anti-oxidant rich kale.
Ingredients:
acorn squash
1 cup short grain brown rice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ cup fresh cranberries
walnuts
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut your acorn squash in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place it cut side down in a lightly-oiled baking dish and place it in your oven. You’ll know it’s done when the skin begins to collapse. (I always rely on the poke test, but I wont recommend it because I don’t want any comments about how your burned your finger.) Meanwhile, put your rice in your rice-cooker and cover with 2 cups water. Keep an eye on your rice! As the water recedes, add cinnamon and nutmeg. When the rice in almost cooked, add your cranberries. For a cranberry-flavored rice, you may add cranberries as you like. For a berry you can bite and to maintain the cinnamon flavor in the rice, wait until you think you’ve waited too long. When your squash and rice are ready, spoon the rice into the bowls of the squash. Top with your favorite roasted nuts or seeds. (You can even toast the seeds from the acorn squash!)