Squash Stuffed with Quinoa & Mushroom

A bit of work with this one, but it's worth the effort. Nice and filling for those days when you can't be bothered to cook meat.

Squash Stuffed with Quinoa & Mushroom
from Food & Wine magazine, November 2011

Squash
One 3-1/2 pound kabocha squash, halved, seeded, sliced into 6 wedges
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
3 thyme sprigs

Sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 thyme sprigs

Filling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced; plus 2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
4 thyme sprigs
2-1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper
1-1/2 cups quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced
1/3 cup chopped parsley

Squash
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Brush squash with oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay wedges on baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes until lightly browned. Flip and roast for another 20 minutes, until just tender.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and add the sugar, syrup, and thyme. Cook until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove squash from oven and turn skin side down. Brush with maple glaze and roast for 10 more minutes until lightly browned.

Sauce
In a small saucepan--I just used the same one, thyme discarded--whisk the cream with the maple syrup. Add the garlic and thyme and simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup. Discard garlic and thyme and keep warm.

Filling
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the minced shallot and cook until softened. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, then add the quinoa. Cover and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter in the oil. Add the sliced shallots and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned and tender. Stir in the quinoa and parsley and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Arrange squash on plates, fill with quinoa and mushroom stuffing, and drizzle with sauce.