Vegetarian Paradise!

My friend Genene, who lives here in Prescott out by Thumb Butte, has a home that is a vegetarian paradise. The whole back yard was filled with huge containers of veggies that have grown all season and were just harvested. She and her husband, David, erected an amazing green house which they have filled with veggies that she says will grow most of the winter. These include green peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes (both cherry and full size), herbs, marigolds, beets, and onions to name a few.

We sat in the green house the other day eating her homemade gluten free organic cookies and drinking black tea with her homemade hazelnut milk. The tastes were full and, well, delicious is all I can say – I mean, really, how does one describe all of those tastes? We enjoyed visiting while basking in the fall sunshine of her greenhouse.

Inside of her amazing kitchen are beautiful glass jars filled with beans, nuts, and flours (including garbanzo flour) and bowls full of freshly harvested winter squash and tomatoes. One cannot visit her home or chat with her without being inspired to eat consciously and organically. I saw all the colorful squash and was immediately inspired to make one of my favorite vegetarian dishes offered to you today and I do hope you enjoy!

 

ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH TEMPEH

One Acorn Squash, organic

One 8oz. package of tempeh, crumbled (from health food store)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into half moons
1.5 Cups cooked wild rice (buy it all cooked at TJ's)
1 Tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the acorn squash in half. Remove the seeds and pulp. Place squash cut side down in a heavy baking dish. Add one inch of water to the pan and cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.

3. Break Tempeh into 4 or 5 pieces and drop into pot of boiling broth, gently simmer for about five minutes, drain (you can save broth for steaming veggies at another time) and cool. Set aside in large mixing bowl.

4. Add oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes until or until they begin to caramelize.

5. Add the tempeh and honey into the pan. Cook for five minutes. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a large bowl.

6. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Scoop out half of the flesh of each piece of squash and add it to the bowl. Add the wild rice. Mix until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Fill the squash halves with the tempeh mixture and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.