Use whatever vegetables you have to hand in this richly flavoured and substantial one-pot meal.

Serves 4

Onions - 2, sliced
Carrots - 4, sliced
Swede - 1 small, sliced
Parsnips - 2, sliced
Turnips - 3 small, sliced
Celeriac - ½, cut into matchsticks
Leeks - 2, thinly sliced
Garlic - 1 clove, chopped
Bay leaf - 1, crumbled
Chopped fresh mixed herbs - 2 tbsp (such as parsley and thyme)
Vegetable stock - 300 ml (½ pint)
Plain flour - 1 tbsp
Red skinned potatoes - 675g (1½ lb), thinly sliced
Butter - 50g (2 oz)
Salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F Gas 5. Arrange all the vegetables, except the potatoes, in layers in a large casserole dish with a tight fitting lid.

Season the vegetable layers lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle them with garlic, crumbled bay leaf and chopped herbs as you go.

Blend the stock into the flour and pour over the vegetables. Arrange the potatoes in overlapping layers on top. Dot with butter and cover tightly.

Cook in the oven for 1¼ hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the lid from the casserole and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the top layer of potatoes is golden and crisp at the edges. Serve hot.

source:unknown

What makes this dish —- despite ingredients which may seem strange to a lot of the population— exceptional? Hearty, deeply flavorful, lapped in a rich, glossy, savory sauce, spiked with red wine, it’s serious winter-time satisfaction in a bowl. It is everything you want from a stew, from the seductive aroma with which it warms the house, to its robust, filling, substance and big, distinct (”manly,” we might have said in pre-feminist days) chunks of potato and other vegetables. Dried shiitakes hydrate in the ragout; garlic (and no wimpy amount of it, either) is used almost as a vegetable in its own right. The garlic chunks mellow during the cooking process, yet what they lose in individual integrity they give to the dish as a whole.
But though this ragout is everything you want, it’s nothing you don’t — no fatty layer requiring degreasing, no stew beef cooked past flavor and recognition to mere stringiness. And, though it is absolutely impossible that something so stalwart should be low-fat, low-fat it is. Serve it in a bowl, accompanied by a hunk of good bread, starting off with a big green salad splashed with a tart vinaigrette or non-sweet sesame dressing. Or, try it ladled over any cooked grain or pasta. In any case, you’ll have a wafting fragrance in the house presaging the most fulfilling of cold-weather meals — a combination guaranteed to console the disheartened and nourish the dispirited.
Please note: I always do this dish in a heavy-gauge, non-stick Dutch oven. If you use a conventional cast-iron or enamel-clad one, spray the heck out of it with Pam cooking spray before you start, and expect to stir the dish considerably more often than I suggest here to prevent sticking.

Pam cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, cut vertically into crescent-shaped slivers
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tamari/shoyu soy sauce
1 cup hearty, full-bodied, tannic red wine, such as a Cabernet, Barolo, or Barbaresco
1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
A major grinding of fresh black pepper — 1/2 to 1 teaspoon or so
1 cup canned diced tomato in tomato puree
8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled, quartered or thickly sliced
1/4 teaspoon Dragon Salt**
6 to 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, broken roughly into quarters
1 packages (8 ounces) “traditional-style” dark seitan, well-drained, diced into stew-beef size squares, 1 to 1 1/2 inch or so
4 small potatoes, scrubbed, peel on, cut in large pieces
2 carrots, scrubbed, peel on, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
1 parsnip, halved lengthwise, sliced in 1/2 inch half-rounds
2 cups green beans, stemmed and sliced into 2 to 3 inch long pieces
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, and sliced into 1/2 inch half-rounds

Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional, for garnish

1. If using a conventional Dutch oven, spray it with Pam cooking spray and see note above; you’ll have better results with a non-stick one. Heat the Pam cooking sprayed or non-stick Dutch oven with the oil over medium high heat, and add the onions, stirring to sauté for about 6 minutes, or until they start to brown but are still a little crisp.

2. Sprinkle the onions with flour, and, lowering heat to medium, continue to cook for about 4 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup vegetable stock, stirring it in to smooth it into the flour. When the flour is incorporated and the liquid is free of any flour lumps or clumps, add a little more stock, then, finally, the entire remaining amount, stirring often. Add nutritional yeast (you will think it’s going to lump, but the flakes will dissolve), soy sauce, red wine, umeboshi vinegar, honey, black pepper, tomato, garlic, and Dragon Salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn down to simmer.

3. Drop in the dried shiitake mushrooms (they will hydrate as the stew cooks), with the seitan, potatoes, carrots, parsnip, and green beans. Lower heat slightly, cover, and let ragout barely simmer, stirring every so often, for 35 minutes, or until potatoes are nearly done. Lift lid, drop in zucchini, recover, and let cook another 10 to 15 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender but still distinct. Serve, hot, if desired with a sprinkle of parsley.

Variations:

I’ve been so delighted with the flavors and textures of this stew that I’ve prepared countless variations of it over the years.

Tempeh’d Deep December Ragout of Shiitakes & Winter Vegetables with Garlic & Red Wine : Omit seitan. Stir pre-baked tempeh or tempeh “bacon” pieces into the stew, with the zucchini, in the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time.

Deep December Ragout of Shiitakes & Winter Vegetables with Garlic, Garbanzos & Red Wine: Omit seitan. Drain a 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, reserving both liquid and beans. Use the bean liquid as part of the vegetable stock called for, as you make the recipe above. Add the beans in the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, when you add the zucchini

4 to 6 servings

**Dragon Salt

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

A homemade seasoning with serious kick.
Some years ago at the inn we used a hot but nicely herbal seasoning salt from New Orleans. The packaging — a round yellow tube with bright drawings of fish — made it resemble a canister of fish food, but we loved it anyway, though not being wild about the granulated garlic it included (drying and granulating it, I think, loses the best of garlic’s soul and leaves only the worst of its flesh). I used the stuff for awhile on almost anything — pasta, vegetables, egg dishes of all kinds. When it quit being available, I began making our own, which I love even more — because it doesn’t have granulated garlic or garlic salt. When using it, I often combine it with a little commercially made roasted garlic oil, or just some fresh-pressed garlic and olive oil.

1/3 cup salt, preferably sea salt
1/3 cup medium-coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dried dill
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon dried sweet basil leaves
1 tablespoon celery seed

1.Combine all the ingredients, tossing gently. Stand back as you toss; due to the cayenne, tossing can be a bit cough-producing.
2.Transfer to a jar with a tightly fitting lid. This keeps well indefinitely, though it begins to lose potency after a year or so.

http://www.dragonwagon.com/11seitan_ragout.htm

As the tart bakes, some of the beet juice will color the custard and the goat cheese, giving each slice a pretty, almost marbleized look. Since the flavors are a riff on the classic beet, walnut, and goat cheese salad, this tart pairs especially well with greens tossed with a bright vinaigrette. A small slice also makes a somewhat unusual but delicious side dish to grilled lamb chops.

FOR THE PASTRY
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and well chilled
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

FOR THE FILLING
2 to 3 small beets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dry white wine
3 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon walnut oil (optional)
About 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

MAKE THE PASTRY
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Quickly cut the butter into the flour, using a pastry blender or your fingers, until the butter pieces are the size of large peas. (Alternatively, cut the butter into the flour by pulsing it 8 to 10 times in a food processor, being careful not to overheat and overmix the butter.)

2. Dump the mixture out onto a clean surface and make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the ice water into the well. Using just your fingertips and working quickly, combine the flour mixture and the water. Work just until the water is absorbed. The dough will be ragged but should hold together when you squeeze it. If it seems dry, sprinkle on a few more drops of water. Form the dough into a log shape about 8 inches long and parallel to the edge of your work surface. With the heel of your hand, push down and away from you all along the line of dough. With a pastry scraper, gather up the dough, shape it back into a log, and repeat the smearing action. This technique, known as fraisage, will form sheets of butter in the dough, creating a light crust almost like puff pastry, with the pastry scraper, gather the dough up into a ball; it’s fine if the dough does not come together completely at this time.

3. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap, flatten it a bit, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least a half hour before rolling. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can also freeze the dough, well wrapped; allow it to defrost for a day in the refrigerator before using it.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough so it is slightly larger around than the 10-inch tart mold and about 1/8 inch thick. If your rolling yielded something unlike a circle, use a knife to trim the raggedy edges, but keep the size of the circle larger than the tart pan. Carefully lift the dough over the tart pan and allow it to fall into the pan, centering it fairly well. Gently ease the dough into where the sides of the pan meet the bottom. If necessary, lift the dough that’s hanging over the edge and bring some of the excess down into the pan to ensure that the dough is following the pan’s contours. Once the dough covers the entire bottom of the pan, fold the excess dough over into the pan to make thicker walls. Press the dough into the edges of the pan and build up the wall of dough slightly so that it’s a bit higher than the edge of the pan. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.

5. To blind-bake the tart crust heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the mold with aluminum foil, and then fill the foil with baking weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and continue to bake until the crust is well browned. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool a bit before assembling your tart.

MAKE THE FILLING
1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Wash the beets and dry them with a paper towel. Place the beets in a small ovenproof pan, drizzle them with the olive oil, and season with a little salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake until the beets are tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 1 hour. Allow the beets to cool. Peel the beets using a small knife and cut them into a medium dice. (Be careful, as beet juice can stain counters, towels, and even your hands; you may want to wear gloves for this step.)

2. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, season with a little salt, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onion is just tender, about 7 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for another minute, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

3. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Toss the beets and onion together and put them into the blind-baked tart shell. Whisk together the eggs and cream, season well with salt and pepper, and carefully pour over the beets and onion, letting the cream seep evenly into the beets. Dot the goat cheese all over the top of the tart. Put the tart on a baking sheet and bake it for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top of the tart and drizzle the walnut oil over it, if using. Return the tart to the oven and bake until just set, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle the tart with the chopped parsley and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8 Makes 1 10-inch tart

by Gordon Hamersley with Joanne McAllister Smart
from Bistro Cooking At Home
(Broadway Books, 2003)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 large parsnips, finely chopped
1 cup orange juice
1 large tart apple, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons raisins
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet.
Add the gingerroot, garlic, onion, and spices, and cook, stirring, over low heat, until the onion is soft.
Add the remaining vegetables, orange juice, apple, and raisins; stir and cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat, until the vegetables are tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve it with rice and chutney.

Yield: 6 servings

Source: http://www.almanac.com/recipes/search/onerecipe.php?number=1334

This is a traditional Cornish recipe. The meat and potato varieties of Cornish pasties are the most well-known, but traditionally all sorts of fillings were put in pasties, including vegetable ones. “Licky” is another word for “leek”.

shortcrust pastry
leeks
butter
salt and pepper

Prepare the leeks by removing the dark green heads, and slicing the remainder, then washing thoroughly in cold water to remove any grit.

Make the pastry and roll it out until it is about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut it into rounds, using a saucer or a small plate as a template.

Use the leeks for filling, placing an appropriate amount of filling on one half of each circle of pastry. Put a knob of butter on top and season with salt and pepper. Dampen the edges of the pastry with water, then fold over the other half of the circle, to form a pasty shape. Press the edges together with the fingers and crimp to seal.

Make 2 or 3 ventilating slits in the top of the pasty, brush with milk or egg if you want a glaze, and bake in a hot oven 450F until the pastry is pale brown, then reduce the heat to medium (350F) for about 40 minutes.

http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/~scu/Recipes/Savouries/licky.html

This is a really hearty winter dish.

Butter - 15g (½ oz)
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Carrots - 2 medium, diced
Courgettes - 2 medium, diced
Swede - 175g (6 oz), diced
Mushrooms - 110g (4 oz), halved
Parsnip - 1 medium, diced
Chopped tomatoes with herbs - 1 x 400g (14 oz) can
Vegetable stock - 300 ml (10 fl oz)
Black eyed peas - 1 x 440g (15½ oz) can, drained
Self raising flour - 175g (6 oz)
Garlic salt - ½ tsp
Vegetable suet - 75g (3 oz)
Smoked cheddar cheese - 50g (2 oz), grated
Milk - 100 ml (4 fl oz)

Fry the onion in the butter in a large pan for 3 minutes.

Add the vegetables, stock and the beans. Cook for 10 minutes. Place in an ovenproof dish.

Sift the flour and salt together. Stir in the suet and cheese. Mix to a soft dough with the milk. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into balls.

Add to the casserole, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4-6

source unknown

2-6 lbs pumpkin (the number of pumpkins will depend on their size)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 1/2 cups water
2 cups long grain brown rice
3/4 cup wild rice
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1-2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup steamed diced carrots
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or soy cheese, , optional

Preheat the oven to 375° F.
With a sharp knife, cut a 4- to 6-inch-wide lid off the top of each pumpkin.
Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers, (use seeds for roasted pumpkin seeds, if desired, or discard).
Set a square of foil, over the opening cut on top of th pumpkin and set the lid on top of the foil (the foil is to keep the lid from falling back into the pumpkins).
Place prepared pumpkins in a baking pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water and bake until the insides are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of your pumpkins.
Remove from the oven and keep warm.
While the pumkins are baking prepare the rice.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic, and sauté, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the water, brown wild rice, parsley, salt, pepper, and turmeric, and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook over low heat until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
Fluff with a fork, and stir in the peas, carrots and corn.
If desired, fold in the Parmesan or soy cheese.
Set aside until the pumpkins are done.
When the pumpkins are finished baking, discard the foil; spoon the rice mixture into the pumpkins and cover with the lids and serve.
When serving, be sure to serve some of the inside of the pumpkin along with the rice stuffing.

8 servings

2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 large carrots, cooked and pureed
2 onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch ground cardamom
1 cup unsalted butter
1/3 pound grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 pounds fresh pasta sheets
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup hazelnuts
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch white pepper
salt to taste
2 cups shredded sorrel, stems removed

1 Saute the onions, garlic, and spices in butter or margarine until the onions are soft. Stir together with the pureed vegetables. Add cheese, maple syrup, egg, salt, and black pepper. Adjust seasoning. Set the filling aside.
2 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Toast the hazelnuts in a shallow pan on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown and fragrant. When they are cool enough to handle, wrap the nuts tightly in a lint-free towel, and vigorously rub nuts against the towel. Continue rubbing until the nuts are almost blond.
3 Cook the cream, garlic, cayenne, and white pepper over high heat; stir often, and adjust heat to keep the cream from boiling over. When the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add a pinch salt. Adjust seasoning. Remove sauce from heat until you’re ready to use it.
4 Lay one sheet of Fresh Pasta out on a flat surface. Spray with water to prevent drying, and to make it more flexible. Place half tablespoons of filling along the bottom edge of the pasta about 1/2 inch apart. For larger ravioli, use 1 tablespoon of filling, and leave 1 inch between dollops. Fold the pasta sheet over the filling, and cut apart with a ravioli cutter. Set the finished ravioli aside, and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until filling and/or pasta is completely used.
5 Cook the ravioli in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.
6 Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Add the shredded sorrel to the sauce; cook just until it wilts — about 30 seconds. Add half the hazelnuts, turn the heat off, and add the cooked ravioli. Stir gently, and serve immediately. Garnish with remaining hazelnuts.

Makes 6 servings

1 small butternut squash, about 2 pounds
2 apples, cored, peeled, sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup cold butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Peel squash, scoop out seeds, and cut in small pieces.
Place squash and apple slices in oblong baking dish (7x11-inch).
Blend remaining ingredients with fork or pastry cutter until crumbly.
Spread over squash and apple.
Cover and bake butternut squash casserole at 350° for about 45 to 50 minutes.
serves 6 to 8.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, or to taste (available in Asian
markets and specialty food stores)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 pounds peeled seeded pumpkin, cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks
2 15-ounce cans coconut milk
1 cup homemade or canned chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro leaves.

1. Place a large wide pan over medium heat, and add oil. When hot,
add onion and salt, and sauté until softened but not browned. Add
curry paste, and sauté for 1 minute. Add cumin and coriander.

2. Raise heat to medium-high, and add pumpkin. Stir for about 1
minute. Stir in coconut milk, chicken broth and soy sauce. Partly
cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently until
pumpkin is almost tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Add chickpeas, partly cover, and simmer for 10 minutes more. Stir
gently, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. If more heat is
desired, add more curry paste. Ladle hot pot into serving bowls,
sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Time: 45 minutes
from Nigella’s OCT 30th NY Times “At My Table” article

Butter - 75g (3 oz)
Onions - 2 medium, sliced
Carrots - 4 medium, sliced
Parsnips - 2, cut into chunks
Cauliflower - 1 small, cut into florets
Courgettes(zucchini) - 4, sliced
Tomatoes - 6, skinned, roughly chopped
Plain flour - 50g (2 oz)
Milk - 450 ml (¾ pint)
Vegetable stock - 300 ml (½ pint)
Dried mixed herbs - 1 tsp
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Wholemeal self raising flour - 100g (3½ oz)
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - ½ tsp
Cheddar cheese - 75g (3 oz), grated
Mustard powder - 1 tsp

Melt 50g (2 oz) butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions, carrots and parsnips and sauté lightly for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large casserole dish. Add the remaining vegetables.

Blend the flour with 300 ml (½ pint) milk and add to the vegetables with the stock, mixed herbs and seasoning. Bake at 200 °C / 400 °F / Gas 6 for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, place wholemeal flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Rub the remaining butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in half the cheese, mustard and a little milk and mix to a soft dough.

Roll out on a floured work surface until 1.5 cm (½ inch) thick and cut into rounds with a 5 cm fluted cutter.

Place the scone rounds on top of the vegetables and brush tops with remaining milk and sprinkle with cheese.

Return to the oven for 20 minutes until scones are golden brown and vegetables are cooked.

serves 6

http://www.hwatson.force9.co.uk/cookbook/recipes/veggie/heartyautumnhotpot.htm

2 cups pumpkin, chopped and peeled
1 tbl. olive oil
1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbl. chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tbl. chopped fresh sage leaves
2 tbl. cream cheese or mascarpone
1/4 cup plus 1 tbl. parmesan cheese, grated
forty 3-1/2-inch-square wonton skins
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a 13x9 inch baking pan with 1 inch boiling water. Place steaming basket or metal colander in center of pan. Evenly place pumpkin chunks in colander. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Remove pumpkin from oven and let cool 5 minutes. In small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbl. parsley and the sage. In large bowl, with potato masher, mash pumpkin toa pulp. Add shallot mixture, mascarpone, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese; with spoon, mix until well combined. For each ravioli, place one heaping tablespoonful of pumpkin filling in center of wonton skin. Brush edges of wonton skin with egg white around filling; cover with another wonton skin. With fork, gently press around the filling to expel any air pockets and to seal the ravioli. If a scalloped edge is desired, with fluted pastry wheel, trim wonton skins around the edges. Place ravioli on tray or baking sheet. Repeat to make more ravioli with remaining wonton skins and filling.

To cook ravioli, in 6-quart saucepot, heat 4 inches water to boiling over high heat. Carefully add ravioli and cook 5 to 7 minutes or just until they appear translucent. With slotted spoon, remove ravioli, and place on tray. (The ravioli are fragile; do not drain directly into a colander.)

1 c Couscous
1 c Apple juice
1/4 c Prunes, pitted & chopped
1/4 c Dried cranberries
1/4 c Dried apples
1/4 c Apple juice concentrate,
— thawed
1/4 ts Cardamom, ground
1 tb Maple syrup
4 ea Acorn squash, halved &
— seeded
1/4 c Pecans, toasted & chopped,
— optional

Place couscous in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Bring apple juice to a boil in a small saucepan & pour over the couscous. Cover & set aside until the juice is absorbed. This will take 15 minutes.

Stir in the fruit, apple juice concentrate, cardamom & maple syrup. Set aside.

Steam squash halves until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain & place on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350F. Fill squash halves with the couscous mixture & bake for 20 minutes. Top with pecans & serve.

“Vegetarian Gourmet” Winter, 1995

4 md Butternut squashes
2 c Water
3/4 c Wild rice, rinsed
3 tb Margarine
1 c Red onion, chopped
1 ea Garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 c Trn wholewheat bread
1 tb Sesame seeds
1/2 ts Sage & thyme
1 ts Seasoned salt
1 c Fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 375F. Halve squashes & scoop out seeds & fibres. Place them upside down in shallow baking dishes & cover tightly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil, stir in wild rice & simmer 40 minutes, or till the water is absorbed. Heat 2 tb margarine in a skillet. Add onion & garlic & saute till onion goes limp. In a mixing bowl, combine the rice with the remaining ingredients & the saute. When squashes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp & chop it. Stir into the rice mixture. Stuff the squashes, place in foil lined baking dishes & cover. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.