Roasted squash basted with a spicy sauce hugs a quinoa pilaf loaded with dried fruit.
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As we approach the meat-centric holiday of Thanksgiving when turkey is the covergirl of food magazines in the US this month, I've been compiling ideas for vegetarian dishes that could be served as a side dish or as the main event. I personally think turkey is way over-rated, and pales (no pun intended) next to a standing rib roast, pulled pork, or short ribs, all of which are far more tempting. I suppose I could drown it in enough gravy to make it palatable, but there's a reason I rarely made turkey except at Thanksgiving. And now that I'm mostly vegetarian, it's easy to pass up, no matter how crispy that skin is. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains will win that contest with me every time.
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Spicy Delicata Squash + Fruity Quinoa Stuffing
Ingredients
Delicata Squash
- 1 tablespoon minced chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- â…› teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Delicata squash, halved lengthwise with seeds and pulped removed
Fruity Quinoa Pilaf
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon Calvados Apple Brandy
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
- 1 tablespoon minced dried apricots
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Delicata Squash Sauce ingredients EXCEPT the Delicata Squash.
- Lay each Delicata half, with the cut sides facing up, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the Sauce on all cut and cavity surfaces, basting the squash well with half of the Sauce. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the squash and baste with the remaining Roasting Sauce. Roast for another 10 minutes, or until tender.
- While the Delicata roasts, make the quinoa following these instructions.
- In a separate pot, bring the apple cider and Calvados to a simmer. Add the apple pieces, along with the remaining Fruity Pilaf ingredients. Simmer until the cider is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Strain, retaining the reduced apple cider.
- Combine the quinoa with the fruit and toss. Add a couple of tablespoons of the reduced apple cider, or to taste. Spoon the quinoa and fruit mixture over the roasted Delicata boats.
- Serve warm.
If you're looking for some additional vegetarian or vegan dishes for your Thanksgiving table, or my 'wimpy' version, here are some ideas:
Rustic Cauliflower and Tomato Gratin
Roasted Squash with Pomegranate & Pepitas Tossed in Quinoa
Kale and Cauliflower Tart in a Cheddar Crust
Cauliflower 'Steaks' on a Citrus Salad
And please come back Sunday when I'll be posting a Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with cauliflower mashed potatoes. Way more interesting than roast turkey 🙂
TasteFood
Congrats on Yummly - what a lovely recipe. Although I must disagree about the turkey... a brined turkey is something we look forward to every Thanksgiving!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Lynda! We've have to agree to disagree on the turkey, although I'm sure I would like your version much better than the ones I've tried 🙂
Sunithi
Looks yumm ! I could pass over turkey for this 🙂 !
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Sunithi! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!
lapadia
Love squash boats, as you know! And I'm with you on the turkey 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Yes, I originally got the idea for squash boats a couple of years ago from your wonderful zucchini recipe on Food52! I loved seeing the video last week of your TV appearance with them 🙂
Norma Chang
Happy Thanksgiving and congratulations on Yummly! I am with you regarding the tukey. The squash boat is much more appealing.
Norma Chang recently posted sweet potato noodles.: http://gardentowok.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/sweet-potato-noodles/
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Norma - we're totally on the same page 🙂
Choc Chip Uru
Squash but fruity, I'm loving this boat recipe 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Rita Held Cartalano
Great idea Susan. I am always up for something non-traditional. This year we're having several vegetarians for dinner, so I'm making butternut squash lasagna (no turkey!). Though we will have pumpkin pie for dessert because I love it for breakfast with coffee.
Btw, an excellent recipe search site is http://www.ProjectFoodie.com which has all the food magazine recipes, lots of the Food Network, and many cookbooks. You can save to your own recipe box etc. A local Bay Area foodie started it several years ago; she also happens to be a techie so the search part is excellent and fast! REALLY.
mjskit
Congratulations on having your recipes featured on Yummy!!!! That's fabulous! Need to go check this one and the rest out. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks MJ!! I was really excited 🙂
Terra
I love this recipe, and what a great recipe roundup! This is so pretty, along with looking delish:-) Hugs, Terra
Hannah
Congratulations on the Yummly feature! This is a beautiful dish and perfect for a festive holiday table. I'm all about the side dishes at Thanksgiving. Wising you a wonderful holiday!