Recipe: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice
From the American Institute for Cancer Research

2 small acorn squash, about 4 inches long
2 tablespoons of dried cranberries
1/4 cup apple juice (optional)
1 large portobello mushroom, chopped, about 1 cup
1 medium shallot, minced, 1 tablespoon
1/2 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup cooked wild rice (or other favorite rice)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Halve the squash lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy fibers. Place the squash, cut-side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until soft when the squash is pierced with a knife, about 35 minutes.

While the squash bakes, in a small bowl plump the cranberries in the apple juice, or in warm water. This takes about 20 minutes.

In a medium, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, saut the mushrooms with the shallots until the mushrooms let their liquid. Add the apple; continue cooking until the mushrooms brown and the apple is slightly soft. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Add the wild rice to the saut ed mushroom mixture. Drain the cranberries and chop them coarsely. Add them to the filling. Season the filling to taste with salt and pepper.

When the squash is done, spoon about cup of the filling into the cavity of each half and serve.

Each of the four servings contains 129 calories and less than one gram of fat.