Squash Stuffed with Tempeh and Chestnut

Jem Carducci -

Looking for a vegan alternative to an impressive roast dinner? This is perfect for Sunday lunch, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any day where you are craving a hearty meal.

This was our Christmas dinner this year. We spent Christmas at home, but this is a great dish to bring to a family gathering as everyone can choose their own squash to delve into. I used acorn squash but any small squash- delicata, honeynut, butternut, or even courgette/ zucchini could be used here. Any leftover stuffing can be used as a base for other dishes like a Shepherd's pie or lasagna.

Ingredients
3 or 4 small to medium size acorn squash
1 package tempeh, crumbled- I used a Lightlife 3 grain tempeh 8oz package
1/3 cup red rice (quinoa, black, or brown rice would also work well here)
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 tbsp tamari/ soy sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 pack chestnuts (3.5oz/ 100g) , chopped in quarters
~4 chestnut mushrooms finely chopped
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 pinch garlic salt
1/4 large or 1/2 small courgette/ zucchini finely chopped
Thyme, rosemary, and/ or sage to taste- finaly chopped
3/4 cup water


Method
Preheat oven to 375°F/ 190°C
Rince the rice in a sieve
Add the chopped onion, garlic, rice, and water to a high sided frying pan/ wok, and cook on medium for ~ 5 minutes until the onion softens.
In the meantime, cut a circle around 3-4inches in diameter on the top of the squash, around the stalk. Remove that piece, then scoop out the seeds from the inside. I also found it helpful to slice a little off the bottom of the squash to flatten the base, this helped them stay upright in the oven.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan, and stir occasionally until the rice is fully cooked through.
Spoon the mixture into the squash, add any left over mixture to mini cocoquettes or an oven safe casserole dish, cover and keep in the fridge- this will make the base of a fantastic shepherd's pie, you just need to top it with mashed potato/ veggies, and bake.
Bake the squash at  375°F/ 190°C for 40-45 minutes.
I served this with roast veggies- celery root/ celeriac, sweet potato, potato, and swede/ rutabaga, and some steamed green beans alongside a jog of veggie and smoked maple gravy.