Acorn Squash Stuffed with Pork
1. Start the rice cooking. Then thaw the spinach in a microwave and drain off the water. If the pine nuts aren't browned, bake them on a sheet pan (with edges so they don't roll off) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-6 minutes. Set everything aside when they're finished.
2. Cut the top off of each acorn squash, about 1 inch down, then scoop out the seeds like a pumpkin. If the bottoms aren't flat, cut a small slice off the bottom to make them stand upright. (Don't remove more than 1/4 of an inch or you risk putting a hole in the squash that the stuffing will leak out of. You can also stand them up in custard cups to keep them upright.) Put 2 tsp. of applesauce in the bottom of each squash. Put a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan, then set the acron squash on top.
3. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large non-stick pan. Then pour the grease off, let the bacon cool and chop it up. With the pan still on medium heat, brown the ground pork until it's no longer pink. Remove the pork from the pan.
4. Spray a little of the olive oil in the pan and saute the onion, celery and carrots until they start to soften, about 7-10 minutes. Then pour the white wine in the pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Mix the bacon and pork back in with the vegetables, along with the cooked rice, spinach, pine nuts, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughy and constantly for about 2-3 minutes, until it's heated through. Remove from the heat and divide evenly between each of the squash, stuffing the mixture into each one. DO NOT pack it in tight or it won't cook properly.
6. Top each squash with it's lid and bake for about 1 hour, or until squash is tender. Serve hot out of the oven. (You can also flip them over and remove the skin for one presentation, or scoop them out and mash it all together for another. Every version is pictured on the left.)
Yield: 4 Servings
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