Instant Pot Rice With Butternut SquashVegan And Gluten Free

A simple way to get more veggies into your family's diet!
It's also a great gluten free side dish for the holidays.

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Did you know the Instant Pot has a Rice Button?
For the first year I owned my Instant Pot, I didn't use the Rice button a single time. I cooked just about everything using the Manual button. One day I thought I'd give that poor neglected button a try. 

Here's a simple recipe for a rice side dish that provides the added benefit of dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, potassium and manganese as well as magnesium, vitamin E and B6.

For the rice, I prefer Tamaki Haiga, the short grain white rice that retains the germ. I call it "white rice without the guilt." (Please note that the Rice button is only timed for white or parboiled rice.)

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Instant Pot Rice with Butternut Squash 
Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free
[4 servings]

Requirements
Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
1 cup short grain white rice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup small diced onion
1 cup grated butternut squash
1 1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold water until the water is clear. Drain well and set aside. 

Heat the oil in the Instant Pot using the "Sauté" function. Add the onion and grated butternut squash and cook, stirring frequently, for several minutes. Hit the "Off" button. 

Saute the onions and butternut squash for several minutes.

Stir in the rinsed rice, water and salt. Secure the lid and press the “Rice” button. When the Instant Pot is done cooking, let the pressure come down naturally. 

Remove the lid carefully and fluff the rice with a fork and serve. 

Delicata Squash Stuffed With Spicy Black Beans and Saffron Rice

Delicata squash makes a whole meal when
stuffed with spicy black beans and saffron rice.

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Delicata Squash
Delicata squash grow easily and I harvested about 2 dozen of them a few weeks ago. Although I usually just roast them with rosemary , lately I've been stuffing them with various things. Since Doug loves black beans, for lunch today I baked the delicata squash, made some saffron rice in my rice maker, heated up a can of spicy black beans with some fresh red bell peppers from my garden, and voila - a yummy, meat-free meal! 

Black beans are a great source of high quality protein, folate, thiamin and fiber. Here's the recipe!


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Stuffed Delicata Squash
Vegan (if made with Earth Balance), Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

Ingredients
2 delicata squash
Earth Balance or ghee
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup rice (Tamaki Haiga or short grain white rice)* 
Pinch of saffron
1 small organic red bell pepper, finely diced
1 (15-ounce) can organic spicy black beans

* Tamaki Haiga rice has the bran removed but still contains the germ. I call it "white rice without the guilt!"

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut off the stem of the delicata squash and then cut in half vertically. Clean out the seeds.

Liberally spread Earth Balance or ghee all over the inside of the squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Don't worry about the fat as most of it will steam off in the oven.

Place the delicata face down in a shallow casserole dish with a 1/2" of water. Place in the heated oven and bake until a fork can easily pierce the skin, about 30 to 40 minutes.

While the squash is baking, prepare the rice according to directions. If you are using a rice maker that takes almost an hour, you should start the rice before you make the squash. 

Crumble the saffron into the rice while bringing the water to a boil. If using a rice maker, just add the crumbled saffron to the water.

While the rice is cooking and the squash is baking, place the finely diced red bell pepper into a small saucepan with a small amount of water. Cover and steam until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the can of spicy black beans and its liquid to the peppers and simmer, uncovered, until heated and most of the liquid evaporates.

Make sure the organic spicy black beans
come in a can with a non-BPA lining.

Place the four delicata halves on individual plates and fill each half with one quarter of the cooked saffron rice .

Spoon the black beans over the rice and serve.

Enjoy!