Moroccan-Stuffed Acorn Squashes with Zucchini Salad

This is another Martha Stewart recipe that I veganized. One day, while I was browsing the recipe section, I found this recipe for Moroccan-Stuffed Acorn Squashes. At the time, I had almost all the ingredients, so I picked up a squash the next time I went to the grocery store so I would have it on hand when I made it. A couple of, um, weeks passed before for I finally got around to making it (thank goodness for long-lasting winter squashes!), but when I finally did I had a lot of fun making it!

I halved the original recipe, but I still wound up having an additional two servings of stuffing leftover. I didn't mind though, I just heated it up as it was with some more of the zucchini salad. Martha's version called for golden raisins (I subbed regular) and hamburger (I used chickpeas). I also seriously upped the spices because the original had like, hardly any in there. Reviewers of the original recipe claimed it was bland, but I like my Moroccan food with flare so I think I fixed that problem! My Mom absolutely loved this dish, and she's requested that it be made again!

I also happened to have some zucchini on hand so I was able to make a Morroccan side dish. The zucchini salad recipe came from "Saveur" magazine. "Saveur" is a very NON-vegan gourmet foodie magazine (in fact, I've only seen them at Whole Foods. My Borders don't even sell them) but I read it because a) I love food, b) many of the articles are actually articles with a recipe section at the end,  c) the food is ethnic authentic, and, d) I love the challenge of veganizing dishes! This recipe happened to be accidently vegan, so I didn't change anything at all! 

Moroccan-Stuffed Acorn Squashes:

1 acorn squash, halved, pulp and seeds removed

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

a few shakes cayenne

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 small onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 Tb. garlic, minced (2 cloves)

1/2 c. bulgur wheat

1 c. water and/or vegetable broth

1/4 c. currants

2 Tb. toasted pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray nonstick spray on the cut side of the squash halves and lay them cut-side-down on a baking sheet. Bake under tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a skillet sprayed with some nonstick, saute the onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cayenne, and saute until the spices are fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

3. In the same skillet as the onions, combine the bulgur and water/broth. Cover, then let simmer for 20 minutes on low until soft. Drain off any excess water and let stand, covered, for 5 more minutes, then fluff with a fork.

4. Once, the squashes are done, scrape them out into the the bowl with the onions, making sure to leave enough squash to the skin that you're able to stuff it. To this mixture, add the dried parsley, fluffed bulgur, salt, currants, and nuts. Combine, and then add the stuffing back into the squash halves (you'll have leftover stuffing). Return halves to the oven, and then bake another 12-15 minutes, or until heated through.

When making the salad you cook the zucchini slices in boiling water. They're still pretty crunchy when you make the salad. I decided I like my zucchini a little more soft, so when I went for the leftovers I steamed them for a couple minutes to get them how I like them. That's purely personal preference though, so if you like them crunchy, just follow the directions exactly. If you like them softer, you can skip the whole boiling water step and just steam them for 3-5 minutes.

Zucchini Salad:

3 medium zucchini (about 1 lb.)

1 minced peeled clove garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Slice zucchini into thin rounds. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add zucchini, and cook until tender but firm, about 1 minute (or do the steaming as I mentioned above). Drain zucchini and rinse under cold water. Pat zucchini dry.

2. Mix together clove garlic, cinnamon, paprika, lemon juice, white vinegar, and olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix in zucchini. Serve at room temperature, though warm with the stuffed squashes is recommended!