Autumn Stuffed Squash

Loosely adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates cookbook. This would be a great Thanksgiving dish!

Makes 6 squash halves (~3 servings)

1 cup mixed raw brown rice and raw wild rice OR 1 package Near East Long Grain & Wild Rice mix
1/2 T butter
3 small winter squash (acorn, delicata, etc.)
1/2 onion, chopped
4 leeks, sliced (white parts and a little bit of green) - you can also just substitute another 1/2 cup of chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup chopped, peeled carrots
1 t dried crumbled rosemary (or 2 t chopped fresh)
3/4 t salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
ground black pepper to taste
dash of crushed red pepper flakes
optional: 1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup ground, lightly toasted walnuts
optional: 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese or parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. Combined 1 3/4 c water, the rice, the butter, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Cover tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. While the rice cooks, rinse the squash, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds (you can roast them if you want!). Rub the squash halves with olive oil and place them cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 min until tender (less time for delicata squash).
4. While the squash halves bake, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic in olive oil for 5-10 min, until the onions are translucent and slightly golden.
5. Add the carrots, rosemary, salt, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Continue to cook for 5 minutes. If you're using mushrooms, add them now and saute just until the mushrooms are tender and release their juices.
6. Stir in the walnuts and remove from heat. When the rice is ready, mix it in. Taste and readjust seasoning as needed.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Turn the baked squash halves cut side up, sprinkly the cavity with salt and pepper, and mash the flesh lightly with a fork. Mound each half with the rice filling and top with 2 T cheese if using.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, until heated through and lightly browned. Serve warm!

No Knead Four-Grain Honey Bread

Four Grain-Honey Bread

From Nancy Baggett, author of Kneadlessly Simple.

Four Grain-Honey Bread

- yields 1 large loaf -

Ingredients

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup rolled oats, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup cooked and cooled brown rice (I used cooked barley!)
Generous 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
1/2 cup clover honey or other mild honey
1 1/4 cups ice water, plus more if needed
Corn oil or other flavorless vegetable oil for coating dough top and baking pan

Procedure

First rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, oats, brown rice, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey into the ice water. Vigorously stir the mixture into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the bowl sides and mixing just until the dough is thoroughly blended. If the ingredients are too dry to mix together, gradually add in just enough more ice water to facilitate mixing; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, mix in more bread flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours; if convenient, stir once during the rise.

Second rise: Vigorously stir the dough. Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center, all the way around the bowl. Dust an oiled 9x5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon each cornmeal and rolled oats, tipping it back and forth to coat the pan sides. Turn out the dough into the pan. Brush or spray the top with oil. Smooth out the top and press the dough into the pan with oiled fingertips or a rubber spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon each cornmeal and rolled oats over the top. Press down to imbed. Cut four or five 3-inch-long, 1/4-inch-deep evenly spaced slashes diagonally across loaf top. Cover the pan with nonstick spray-coated plastic wrap.

Let rise using any of these methods: For a 2- to 4-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave oven along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water. Or, for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours, then let stand at room temperature. Remove the plastic when the dough nears it, then continue the rise until the dough extends 1/2 inch above the pan rim.

Baking preliminaries: 15 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350°F.

Baking: Bake on the lower rack for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the loaf is well browned and firm on top; cover with foil if necessary to prevent over-browning. Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes longer, testing until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles on the end (or until the center registers 207 to 209°F on an instant-read thermometer). Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more to ensure the center it done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly.

Serving and storing: Cool thoroughly before slicing or storing in a plastic bag or foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

Printed from http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/03/kneadlessly-simple-nancy-baggett-four-grain-honey-bread-recipe.html

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