How to squash a crappy mood

I'm grumpy. It's raining. And we are officially in the midst of fall weather. The forecast showed temperatures in the 60's by the end of this week. Grr. It's going to start getting darker earlier, which makes it almost impossible for me to take decent photos of dinner food, unless of course, I build myself a light box. I'll tag that on my to-do list a mile long, right underneath "Master the Art of Ikebana" and "Find a Full Time Job Taste Testing Pastry."

One good thing about the onset of fall is the sudden appearance of squashes the size of my head at the farmer's market. That and the need to un-clutter, since rain makes me housebound. This recipe is from an old Martha Stewart Living magazine, which I've just uncovered from a huge basket full of at least 40 old food mags. It was also featured on The Bitten Word way back when, which you must add to your list of food blogs if you aren't already reading it. Those two guys are the cutest thing ever (plus there's a great article about ground beef linked there)! Their squash looks just like the one in the magazine photo, but I'm just going to blame my point and shoot and fading light and call it a day. I loved the fall flavors in this dish and will definitely make it again!

Moroccan Style Stuffed Acorn Squashes
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, October 2009

Ingredients:
2 medium acorn squashes, halved and seeded
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 c. bulgur wheat
2 leeks, washed and chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
1/4 cup raisings
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbls. sunflower seeds

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash cut side down in a large baking dish and bake until tender, about 35 minutes.
Heat oil in a large deep sauté pan or a pot. Add ground beef, 1 tsp. of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook until browned. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add leeks and garlic to the pan and sauté until tender. Stir in bulgur, remaining salt, and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff bulgur with a fork, and add beef, raisins, parsley and sunflower seeds.
Scrape out baked squashes, making 1/4 inch thick bowls. Fold cooked squash into the bulgur mixture and divide among squash bowls. Bake for 12-14 minutes until heated through and browned on top.

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This post is linked to:


and Tuesday Twister