Recipe post!
I made up some things for Thanksgiving dinner that seemed to go over well (better, at least, than the cornbread stuffing that was closer to bread pudding than stuffing, or the thing that could accurately be called jus but was meant to be gravy.). Three pounds of brussels sprouts were all gobbled up in about five minutes -- they went faster than any of the pies!
Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Mix walnut oil and mead vinegar in approximately 1:1 ratio or to taste. Add a teaspoon of honey, and salt and pepper to taste. If necessary to dissolve the honey, heat the mixture gently. Toss the dressing with brussels sprouts then spread in a single layer in a baking dish. Cook at 375F for 15 minutes or until the sprouts are tender. Add a handful of walnuts and stir. Cook another five minutes or until the nuts smell toasted.
Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Squash
1 large squash -- I used a fairytale pumpkin, but a sugar pumpkin, acorn, carnival or other dry sweet squash would all work
1c wild rice
2c +1/2c vegetable stock
2c mushrooms, coarsely chopped -- I used porcini and chanterelles, and black trumpet mushrooms
1 medium onion
fresh garlic to taste, minced fine
3T herbs chopped fine -- I used rosemary and thyme; I imagine parsley, fines herbes, or herbes de Provence would all work.
1 pear (or apple or quince or whatever) coarsely chopped
Cut the top off the squash and scoop out the seeds and stringy things. Replace the lid, and bake at 350F. Check for doneness every 20-30 minutes until the squash is mostly cooked (a fork stuck in will penetrate the flesh with only moderate difficulty) -- mine took two hours to reach this stage.
While the squash is baking prepare the stuffing. Cook the rice in broth or stock according to your favorite method for cooking rice. You'll want it to be just slightly undercooked.
Dice the onion finely and cook in either butter or oil (butter tastes better but if you're cooking for vegans use oil) until caramelized. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until limp, about five minutes.
Toss the onion and mushroom mixture with the rice. Add the fruit, herbs, and remaining 1/2c of broth.
When the squash is mostly done, scrape some of the flesh from the inside of the squash. Cut or shred it into small pieces and mix into the stuffing. Leave enough of the flesh that the squash remains structurally sound. Fill the squash with the stuffing. If you have too much stuffing, it can be packed into a baking dish and cooked alongside the squash.
Return the stuffed squash to the oven for 15-20 minutes -- until both the squash and the rice are fully cooked.
Garnish with chopped nuts or fresh herbs or dried cranberries or something. I don't know; presentation isn't in my skill set.
comments were made at DreamWidth. You can comment there using OpenID.
Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Mix walnut oil and mead vinegar in approximately 1:1 ratio or to taste. Add a teaspoon of honey, and salt and pepper to taste. If necessary to dissolve the honey, heat the mixture gently. Toss the dressing with brussels sprouts then spread in a single layer in a baking dish. Cook at 375F for 15 minutes or until the sprouts are tender. Add a handful of walnuts and stir. Cook another five minutes or until the nuts smell toasted.
Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Squash
1 large squash -- I used a fairytale pumpkin, but a sugar pumpkin, acorn, carnival or other dry sweet squash would all work
1c wild rice
2c +1/2c vegetable stock
2c mushrooms, coarsely chopped -- I used porcini and chanterelles, and black trumpet mushrooms
1 medium onion
fresh garlic to taste, minced fine
3T herbs chopped fine -- I used rosemary and thyme; I imagine parsley, fines herbes, or herbes de Provence would all work.
1 pear (or apple or quince or whatever) coarsely chopped
Cut the top off the squash and scoop out the seeds and stringy things. Replace the lid, and bake at 350F. Check for doneness every 20-30 minutes until the squash is mostly cooked (a fork stuck in will penetrate the flesh with only moderate difficulty) -- mine took two hours to reach this stage.
While the squash is baking prepare the stuffing. Cook the rice in broth or stock according to your favorite method for cooking rice. You'll want it to be just slightly undercooked.
Dice the onion finely and cook in either butter or oil (butter tastes better but if you're cooking for vegans use oil) until caramelized. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until limp, about five minutes.
Toss the onion and mushroom mixture with the rice. Add the fruit, herbs, and remaining 1/2c of broth.
When the squash is mostly done, scrape some of the flesh from the inside of the squash. Cut or shred it into small pieces and mix into the stuffing. Leave enough of the flesh that the squash remains structurally sound. Fill the squash with the stuffing. If you have too much stuffing, it can be packed into a baking dish and cooked alongside the squash.
Return the stuffed squash to the oven for 15-20 minutes -- until both the squash and the rice are fully cooked.
Garnish with chopped nuts or fresh herbs or dried cranberries or something. I don't know; presentation isn't in my skill set.
comments were made at DreamWidth. You can comment there using OpenID.