Wild Stuffed Roasted Squash

This dish is DELICIOUS and impressive!! This would be a perfect main dish or side to anyone having guests over or for the holidays. The rice mixture is so great alone for those who are a little apprehensive about squash. This is becoming a main staple in my dinner rotations.

2 acorn squash
1 cup wild rice (I used brown/black/wild)
2 veggie bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
a small yellow onion
2-3 stalks of celery
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
a dash of garlic powder and salt
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Start cooking the rice according to package directions, but dissolve one veggi bouillon cube for every cup of water the package cooking directions call for. This step generally takes up to 50 minutes, so the rice will cook pretty much the entire time that the squash is roasting.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put a little oil or butter on the cut sides and place them flesh down on a cookie sheet. Roast them for one hour, or until they collapse easily when pushe'd with a wooden spoon.

Chop the onion, celery, and walnuts. About 15-20 minutes before the squash is complete, heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Put in the onion and saute it for about 3 minutes, then add the celery and saute it for around 2 more, then add the walnuts and saute a little longer until the onion is transluscent, the celery is on the soft side, and the walnuts are a little toasted.
Turn off the flame and stir in the vinegar, tarragon, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked rice to the onion mixture and allow the flavors to all blend.

Allow the squash to cool for 5 or so minutes, stuff the center hole with the rice mixture and enjoy!!