Twice Baked Delicata Squash with Bison, Figs and Wild Rice
Bold fall flavors are the name of the game in this Twice Baked Delicata Squash with Bison, Figs and Wild Rice recipe. Don’t be leery of the flavor combinations they are a taste explosion in the mouth. Hearty enough to fill your belly on those crisp fall evenings.
Ground Bison which used to be a delicacy and hard to find is showing up in all the supermarkets now. There is just one thing to watch for, because of its popularity it is being farmed and fed grains. So look for grass-fed sources of bison. What does bison taste like? It is rich and flavorful with deep tones of savory flavors. It is lower in saturated fat than its beef counterpart and as with most red meat high in iron and B12. I like it because it is easy to find local sources here in Colorado and much easier to find grass fed and organic. Plus I dig the flavor.
Delicata Squash is not just for decoration on your harvest style table. It is a gorgeous winter squash that is simply delicious to eat. My favorite thing about it is how easy it is to roast. In 20 minutes you have perfectly roasted squash. It is full of antioxidants like beta-carotene and vitamin C. Plus it has a sweetness that is perfect for this recipe.
I uniquely used figs twice in this recipe. Flavoring the winter squash with butter and figs and then a second appearance in the wild rice blend. Not to mention the deep savory flavors of the bison brings beautiful flavors to the peak of perfection.
- 1 delicata squash, quartered and seeded
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 lbs ground bison
- 1 tsp fresh garlic minced
- 1 cup dried figs, 1/2 cup sliced
- 1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend
- 6 tbsp grass fed butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp feta cheese
- fresh parsley
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Cook wild rice or wild rice blend according to the directions on the package.
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Preheat oven to 425°. Coat each piece of squash with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in the oven cut side down on baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Leave oven on after roasting.
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While squash and rice are cooking boil 1 cup of water and pour over 1/2 cup of whole dried figs. This is to rehydrate the dried figs. Discard water after about 10 minutes.
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Then in a skillet brown bison. Add fresh garlic and cook a few more minutes. Set aside.
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Remove squash from the oven and let it cool slightly. Carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon leaving about 1/2 inch on all sides and bottom.
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In a food processor add squash flesh, 1/2 cup of rehydrated whole figs, butter and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.
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Return squash mixture into the squash skins.
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Mix 1/2 cup sliced dried figs, bison and wild rice in the skillet. Combine well.
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Top each squash with bison rice mixture.
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Bake for 7-8 minutes until heated thoroughly.
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Remove and top with feta cheese and fresh parsley serve hot.
