Vegan Wild Rice Stuffing

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Step 2

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Step 3

Cut a small piece off the ends of the acorn squash before slicing in half. This is to create a flat surface, so the acorn squash halves do not teeter around on the plate. Then spoon out the seeds, clean up the interior, sprinkle the insides with sea salt and pepper; then place each of the halves cut side (the side that will be stuffed) down  onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes (largely dependent upon the size of the acorn squash) or until fork tender.

Step 4

Rinse the brown rice and wild rice with hot tap water, then place the brown rice and wild rice in a bowl and cover with hot tap water and allow to soak until ready to use in Step 6.

Step 5

Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix well, set aside.

Step 6

In the meantime, in an enamel/ceramic lined skillet or similar non-stick skillet, add the diced onions and celery. Sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes until the onions and celery are tender. If needed to prevent sticking, add a splash of vegetable broth or water.

Step 7

Add the almond butter to the skillet of sautéed onions/celery and stir for one minute.

Step 8

Add the vegetable broth, water, and tamari. Stir. Heat to boiling, then immediately lower to a simmer (low boil). Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon or stiff plastic spatula to pull up anything that stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then add the Spice/Herb Mix, stir to combine.

Step 9

Drain the rice, shake to remove any extra water, add the rice to the skillet.  Stir to incorporate.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer (with a low boil) for 30 minutes undisturbed.

Step 10

After 30 minutes, check the tenderness of the rice by lifting a few pieces from the edge. If not tender, cover and cook longer (see notes).

Step 11

If tender, remove the lid, stir in the dried cranberries and toasted chopped pecans. Remove from the stove and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes to allow the cranberries to plump up. Serve.

Step 12

Serve by spooning the wild rice mixture into the roasted acorn squash halves.