Squash with Rice, Sausage and Fennel

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
One large winter squash - acorn, butternut, delicata or spaghetti
1 C brown or wild rice, rinsed and drained
3 cups vegetable broth
1 large head fennel, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 T canola oil
1/2 pound mild Italian sausages, turkey or Beyond Meat, casings remvoved
green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach or chard, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed, optional
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t black pepper

Instructions:

The squash can be prepared as baked bowls or chopped and stir fried. If baked bowls, Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard seeds and strings. Place squash cut side down in a 9" x 13" pan. Add about 1/2" of water. Bake until squash is tender when pierced, about 50 minutes. Remove and drain water and keep warm.

Cook rice for about 40 minutes in 2 C of the vegetable broth.

Stir fry the fennel and onions in canola oil until carmelized. Add sausage and cook until cooked through if meat or browned if Beyond Meat. Add green leafy vegetables, balsamic vinegar, pepper, the rest of the broth, squash if not baked as bowls, and optional sweet potato, and cook covered until everything is just tender, stirring regularly.

Combine rice and stir fry. If squash was baked, serve over baked squash.