Acorn Squash w Tofu & Brown Rice Stuffing

Acorn Squash was Vegetable #2 for New Year Resolution #2 just a few days ago. My previous recipe was quite traditional and very predictable: Maple roasted Acorn Squash. While I enjoyed that sweet and spicy preparation a lot, I wanted to try a savory version today.  I found a recipe at Tasty and Meatless that I liked the concept of (tofu and brown rice stuffed) but I didn't have all the ingredients and I'm not a huge fan of parsley (this recipe called for a 1/4 cup of it!). So I modified it to my taste with far less parsley and no-added fats.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Spinach & Almond Side Salad. 

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients: 

1. 1 medium Acorn Squash (when buying make sure its hard to touch and the skin is free of blemishes)
2. 1/3 cup Brown Basmati rice (boiled)
3. 1 fresh small Zucchini, grated
4. 1 small red onion, diced
5. 1/3 cup vegetable broth
6. 1-2 tbsp McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning
7. 1 pack (12 oz) Mori-Nu Silken Tofu (firm)
8. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.  Rinse the squash really well and cut into 2 halves (vertically). Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and place upside down on parchment paper in an oven safe dish. Roast uncovered for 30 min until a testing needle pierces the skin without effort. In the meantime, boil brown rice in ample amounts of tap water, drain and set aside. In a deep pan on medium heat, add the vegetable broth and add diced onions. Add salt and half the steak seasoning. Mix well, bring to a boil. Cook down onions and then add zucchini. Mix well. Heat for a couple more minutes until almost dry. Turn off heat and transfer the onions and zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Add boiled brown rice and crumbled tofu and toss well. Taste test the mix and if necessary, add more steak seasoning. Once the squash is done, turn over and transfer to a fresh oven safe dish. Spoon the mix into the hollow squash and heap onto the top as well - pressing/pat it all down into a nice rounded top. Return the stuffed squash to the oven (350F) for about 10 minutes. I then turned on the broiler for another 5 minutes to give me the golden brown crispy top.

I served mine with a spinach and almond side salad. I really enjoyed the nutty flavor of the brown rice, the fresh zucchini and the caramelized acorn squash. Overall, if I may say so myself, this one got an A+.