This stuffed squash recipe is packed with so many nutrient-dense ingredients, yet it feels delightfully decadent—a great recipe to have up your sleeve ready for fall.

You will need

• 1 large or two medium butternut squashes, halved lengthways and seeds removed (keep them; they are full of nutrients! You can sprout them, or dry them to use them at your leisure), along with some of the flesh from the central part above where the seeds are, so that there is room for stuffing
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• ½ cup dried cranberries goji berries ← why goji berries? They have even more healthful properties than cranberries, and cranberries are hard to buy without so much added sugar that the ingredients list looks like “cranberries (51%), sugar (39%), vegetable oil (10%)”, whereas when buying goji berries, the ingredients list says “goji berries”, and they do the same culinary job.
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ bulb garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme, destalked
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary or 2 tsp fresh rosemary, destalked
• 1 generous handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp black pepper, coarse ground
• ½ tsp MSG or 1 tsp low-sodium salt
• Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing and frying
• Aged balsamic vinegar, to serve (failing this, make a balsamic vinegar reduction and use that; it should have a thicker texture but still taste acidic and not too sweet; the thickness should come from the higher concentration of grape must and its natural sugars; no need to add sugar)

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C.

2) Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil; sprinkle with a pinch of MSG/salt and a little black pepper (grind it directly over the squash if you are using a grinder; hold the grinder high though so that it distributes evenly—waiters in restaurants aren’t just being dramatic when they do that with pepper or Parmesan or such)

3) Arrange them cut-sides-down on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and roast for at least 30 minutes or until tender.

4) While that is roasting, add the chia seeds to the wild rice, and cook them in the low-sodium vegetable stock, using a rice cooker if available. It should take about the same length of time, but if the rice is done first, set it aside, and if the squash is done first, turn the oven down low to keep it warm.

5) Heat some oil in a sauté pan (not a skillet without high sides; we’re going to need space in a bit), and fry the chopped onion until translucent and soft. We could say “about 5 minutes” but honestly it depends on your pan as well as the heat and other factors.

6) Add the seasonings (herbs, garlic, black pepper, MSG/salt, nooch), and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring thoroughly to distribute evenly.

7) Add the rice, berries, and nuts, cooking for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly, ensuring everything is heated evenly.

8) Remove the squash halves from the oven, turn them over, and spoon the mixture we just made into them, filling generously.

9) Drizzle a lashing of the aged balsamic vinegar (or balsamic vinegar reduction), to serve.

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Brown Rice vs Wild Rice – Which is Healthier?
• Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts!
• Goji Berries: Which Benefits Do They Really Have?
• Chia: The Tiniest Seeds With The Most Value
• The Many Health Benefits Of Garlic
• Black Pepper’s Impressive Anti-Cancer Arsenal (And More)
• 10 Ways To Balance Blood Sugars

Take care!