Ingredients:
Squash & Filling
1 medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting
1 tablespoonminced garlic
1 tablespoonminced ginger
1 medium red apple (Braeburn, McIntosh), diced
2 cupscooked manoomin (wild rice)
1/2 cuporange juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauce & Garnish
2 tablespoonscornstarch
2 cupsorange juice
1 tablespoonminced garlic
1 tablespoonminced ginger
1/4 cuptamari or coconut aminos
1/2 cupcrushed toasted walnuts
1 cupmicrogreens (or baby arugula or kale)
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment.
Drizzle the squash with olive oil and add flesh side down to the prepared sheet pan. Roast until tender, about 1 hour.
While the squash is roasting, work on the filling and sauce. To make the filling, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and apple. Allow to caramelize and brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the cooked rice and orange juice. Reduce for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (The filling can be prepared in advance and refrigerated—just rewarm before serving.)
To make the sauce, combine the cornstarch, orange juice, garlic, ginger, and tamari or coconut aminos in a mixing bowl and whisk until the cornstarch has dissolved. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and transparent (nappe).
To serve, scoop out the seeds from the cooled squash and reheat if needed. Scoop the rice filling into the hollowed out squash. Serve with the orange sauce to drizzle all over and top with crushed walnuts and microgreens.