This festive recipe does double duty—it’s a stellar holiday side dish and a meatless main dish as well. Acorn squash is in season right now at local farmers’ markets. To make your life easier, bake the squash the night before. Then add the filling the next day, top with a bit of butter and warm in a 350F oven for about 20 minutes.  

Prep Time: 20 Minutes, cook time: 1 Hour, servings: 8
Ingredients
4 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds and strings removed 
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups wild rice 
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 large onion, finely chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 large ribs celery, finely chopped 
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley 
6 ounces hickory-baked tofu, cut into 1/4-inch dice 
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries 
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350F. Trim bottoms of squash halves so they sit evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Dot squash halves with butter pieces, cover pan with foil and bake until moist and tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine rice, broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. 
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot; sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Cover the pan, adjust heat to medium-low and cook the vegetables until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add cooked rice, thyme, parsley, tofu, walnuts and cranberries; cook 2 more minutes. Spoon rice mixture evenly into baked squash halves. Serve hot.
NOTE. Hickory-baked tofu can be found in natural-food stores. Plain extra-firm tofu works well, too, and is available in most larger supermarkets.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes, cook time: 1 Hour, servings: 8

Ingredients

4 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds and strings removed 

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Nutmeg to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups wild rice 

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 large onion, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 large ribs celery, finely chopped 

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley 

6 ounces hickory-baked tofu, cut into 1/4-inch dice 

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 

3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Trim bottoms of squash halves so they sit evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Dot squash halves with butter pieces, cover pan with foil and bake until moist and tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine rice, broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. 

3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot; sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Cover the pan, adjust heat to medium-low and cook the vegetables until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add cooked rice, thyme, parsley, tofu, walnuts and cranberries; cook 2 more minutes. Spoon rice mixture evenly into baked squash halves. Serve hot.

NOTE. Hickory-baked tofu can be found in natural-food stores. Plain extra-firm tofu works well, too, and is available in most larger supermarkets.

Excerpted from The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create Your Own Holiday Traditions, by Diane Morgan, published by Chronicle Books, copyright © 2006.