• Cooking Time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• 2 medium acorn squash, cut in half, seeded and cleaned
• 4 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, mined
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 black pepper
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, trimmed and cut into pieces
• 1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup canned chickpeas
• 1 cup prepared grain/brown rice/barley/bulgar wheat/couscous (your choice!)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
• 2 TBSP olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat acorn squash in microwave for 2 minutes on full power to soften skins.
3. Remove squash from microwave and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
4. Cut squash lengthwise (through the stem) and remove seeds.
5. Place on foil-lined cookie sheet and bake skin side down for 30 minutes.
6. While squash are baking, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, about 4 minutes.
7. Add garlic and Swiss chard. Sauté for another 5 minutes.
8. Add mushrooms, spices and canned chickpeas. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
9. Add prepared grain and mix well.
10. Add dried fruit to the mixture immediately before filling the squash.
11. Fill each squash quarter with approximately 3/4 cup of the mixture.
12. Place on foil lined cookie sheet, cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes.
13. Remove foil, sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.
14. Bake for another 5-10 minutes.

This is a great recipe when you really want to impress someone. Maybe you're having a dinner party and you want your friends to be impressed at how GREAT vegans eat ...? There is a little extra work involved in this recipe, but it's worth it.