Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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.

Print the Recipe

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This post is linked to:
H‘nSgirlichef
Tuesday Night Supper Club
and Tuesday Twister

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a far more delicious way to eat squash than any way I've had it in the past! And it was raining here too but the sun is out now so I'll send some sunshine your way. Thanks for visiting my blog today. I'm glad you found me as I'm enjoying looking around your blog. Have a good one!

Unknown said...

these look so yummy...i just love squash season...but..i also love the weather that comes along with it...mostly because we don't have it :( acorn squash is so yummy...i love the idea of adding all sorts of middle eastern flavors to jazz it up a bit. thank you for sharing with tuesday night supper club

Couscous & Consciousness said...

Love squash and love Moroccan flavours, so I have to try this before the weather gets too warm here :-)
Sue

Bird Stalker Photography said...

Thanks for stopping by the blog. This recipe looks so good. I love acorn squash with a little butter and brow sugar!

Heather S-G said...

YUM! That is the ONLY thing about fall that drives me crazy...but a light box is high on my list, too! This sounds amazing...so glad you shared it with the hearth and soul hop this week. And 4th blogoversary- wow!! Congrats =)

toywithme said...

As much as I don't like squash your recipe sounds tempting.

Hunger and Thirst said...

The way I see it, squash were just made to be stuffed. And it's the perfect solution for people who don't like squash (thankfully I'm not one of them) because you can infuse the flesh with flavor. Thanks for sharing with the Hearth and Soul hop. Good luck with the Ikebana ;)

April@The 21st Century Housewife said...

This recipe sounds lovely - and I really like the spices you have used in the filling!

a moderate life said...

Hi Joanna! I am partial to acorn squash sweet, but doing a savory version certainly looks interesting! Hope you got out of your grumpy mood. Fall can be wonderful, but those rainy gloomy days can be a pain! thanks for sharing on the hearth and soul hop! Alex@amoderatelife

Christy said...

I love fall - but not the nights starting earlier - bleh - I am new to cooking with acorn squash - I love the flavors in your recipe! Thanks for linking to the hearth and soul hop!