Today’s stuffed acorn squash with rice and beans is accompanied by a rant. I don’t have much to say about the recipe other than that when I made this for my friends and my roommate, they vocalized their happiness with each bite and insisted that they didn’t want the meal to end. That just tells me how far simplicity will go when it comes to a meal. With rice and beans combined as a complete protein and wrapped in the seasonal flavours of squash, I assure you that this dish will be very well received. Filling, delicious, and can be made in under an hour: most of which is spent waiting for food to cook in the oven and the rice cooker.
But now for my rant:
I’ve lived in Toronto for over two years now. I wouldn’t say I’m a Torontonian officially, per-se, but I’ve voted—twice! I’m not super pleased about the new mayor but at least it’s not another Ford-Nation. I’ve experienced many things that Torontonians have experienced: Nuit Blanche, the TTC (the Toronto Transit Commission, which runs the buses, streetcars, and subway system) , weirdos on the TTC, weirdos on the street, sitting in rush hour on the TTC, the havoc that construction in Toronto wreaks on the TTC… Okay obviously the TTC is an integral part of living in Toronto.
Anyway, I’ve adapted to the Toronto culture and for the most part, I like it. There are lots of things to do and places to visit. There are vegan options everywhere! It’s not weird to people that I’m vegan here (as opposed to my small, WASP-y hometown). People are efficient, for the most part polite, and they have a fantastic etiquette that makes my life easier.
For example, if you’re on the escalator and you don’t feel like walking up the stairs, it’s common etiquette to stand to the right so that people who are more in a rush can walk past you. Similarly, people generally adhere to the right of way concept when it comes to sidewalk etiquette: if everyone walks on the right side of the sidewalk, there are few issues because people can go about their way without any mishaps.
However, every now and then, I find myself seething with pent-up irrational rage when it comes to etiquette. People who don’t hold the doors open properly or people who walk SO BLOODY SLOWLY and travel in packs like the lost freshman of my high school. I’ve stopped being polite about it. Maybe this makes me a little bit of a douche canoe about it but to be more specific, I honestly get so frustrated at people that when someone is walking side by side towards me and doesn’t make room for me on the sidewalk, I will tense up my shoulder so they’ll get a nice little jab as they brush past me.
I’m not being unreasonable, but if I’m stuck between a building and these two people and there’s nowhere for me to go, I will put on my bitchface (pardon me) and plow through. I don’t even look back, I just keep walking.
I used to be afraid that people would think I was a bitch because of it, but you know what? I’ve stopped caring.
Either make room for me on the sidewalk because it takes minimal amounts of effort for someone to walk behind their companion for a second, or get a shoulder into your chest.
Rice and Beans Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 small- to medium-sized acorn squash
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup long grain brown rice
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Half acorn squash and scoop out the seeds and stringy insides. Save the seeds for roasting later as a snack or discard it all. Brush cut sides with olive oil and place on a lined baking sheet, cut-side down.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, using a rice cooker (or whatever your preferred cooking method is) combine rice, black beans, cumin, paprika, and toasted sesame oil. Cook until tender and all water is absorbed into the rice.
- Once tender, remove the squash from the oven. Scoop out until there's about 3/4 inches of squash left in the halves.
- Mix the squash with the rice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill squash halves with rice mixture, and serve!
- Optional: You could top with vegan cheese and melt on top.
Barbara Nicolazzo says
Hm … referring to yourself as a bitch, and using douche as an insult hardly strikes me as feminist language. I myself prefer NON-gender-specific cuss words, like Brenda used. I’m new to your blog. I just wish you had one blog for ranting and one for vegan cooking so that I could avoid the rant. There’s enough negativity in the world without having to suddenly come upon it. Saying the recipe is accompanied by a rant didn’t prepare me for your outburst.
I suspect this will anger you, too, but I’m offering it as legitimate feedback. I hope you take it as such. There’s no need to publish my response.
Lisa Le says
Hi Barbara!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for your comment, I love that you took the time to call me out on using gendered language and you’re so right. Bitch is a very cis-women-gendered term and while I didn’t actually call myself a bitch, I did use the term “bitchface” and was worried that others would call me a bitch, and me putting the language out there sends out the notion that it’s okay for people to use the term and referring its cis-women-specific connotations.
As for the rant blog vs cooking blog, I don’t think I’ll be dialing back the rants at all. I use my blog as a catharsis: to voice my opinion and to share my creativity through food. I don’t always accompany my recipes with rants, but when I do, I don’t expect people to read them or identify with my opinion, I just sometimes need to put it out there. I really appreciate your comment and I hope you continue to read and encourage me to check my language in the future.
Lisa Le says
PREACH.
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
Haha I love your rant. I feel the same, especially about not making room on the sidewalk. Half is for traffic one way and half for the other. It’s not rocket science! Lately I have been trying to be really zen though and I must say it’s going fairly well. And squash should help. Stuffed squash always makes everything better.
Lisa Le says
Haha I know! I find people who have experience driving are better at adhering to the “right of way” idea of traffic on sidewalks haha. And yes. Stuffed squash always helps.
Monique says
Lisa, so well said! I live in California, so I can’t compare attitudes with Canada. I always thought that Canadians were more polite than Americans, but apparently not. I understand the rant, have been there myself many times. I am currently working on my own website and am also going to include personal notes with recipes and food talk. I love reading your stories and thoughts. Thank you!
Lisa Le says
Hahah well for the most part, Canadians can be overly polite but we have our fair share of rude people too. Good luck with your own website!
shan says
Totally agree with your rant. It is completely justified. I have lived here all my life and love Toronto, but I find increasingly, people have less manners these days. They seem more self absorbed than ever, from having very loud, very personal conversations on their cell phones on the bus, to blocking walkways, doorways, sidewalks etc. I also notice less people give up their seats on public transit for those who need them more. I don’t know of it’s the stresses of daily life, job, commute, family but I hope common courtesy is not going the way of the dodo.
Thanks for letting me rant! Great recipe BTW :)
Lisa Le says
Yes! When people stand right in front of entrances or just outside of doorways I want to punch things. I usually give my seat to others on the TTC, and I usually see other people do it too. But maybe I’m not on it enough haha, the perks of working from home.
Marie says
As much as I use to love city life, it can also be very irritating. That’s one of the reason I fled to city to a rural area. Kind of an extreme change, but I don’t miss the loudmouth, self absorb people. I do miss access to delicious vegan food, especially in Toronto. I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling like walking on the sidewalk is a perpetual football game!
Lisa Le says
I desperately want to live on a farm. Fewer ding dongs that I have to deal with haha, I’m glad you don’t have to deal with them anymore!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I totally agree with your rant, sometimes it’s just like UGH move over! Also, I’ll take this stuffed squash and a glass of wine, please and thank you.
Heidi says
Just made this. Absolutely delicious!!!!!!!
Lisa Le says
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it ^_^
Dick says
You didnt say how much water!!
Lisa Le says
Hiya! Sorry, I didn’t put it in because it really depends on the brand of rice you use. I would go off of what is on your package or your rice cooker’s instructions.
Julie says
I was just looking for a recipe and stumbled upon your site. I usually totally skip over people’s blog post/banter and just scroll down to find the recipe but your rant was so amusing I read the whole thing! Keep being yourself. It was great fun to read! Everyone needs an outlet for their frustrations!
Lisa Le says
Hahha thanks Julie :) If you ever like YouTube videos I have a YouTube channel sharing similar thoughts and recipes too!
KareninStLouis says
Made this for dinner last night. Outrageously good! Also added some cinnamon to the squash before adding the squash to the rice and bean mixture. Right now I’m eating a simple salad with a leftover 1/2 acorn’s worth of squash and the rice mixture added. Oh, heaven!
Celeste says
I, too, was taken aback by the rant and the courseness of the language. I think society would do well to avoid mean spiritedness. Those of us looking for delicious recipes are so blessed, and that attitude of gratitude frees us to live with joy.
Julianne says
Yummy! Thanks for the easy ingredient recipe – turned out great!
Lisa Le says
So glad you liked it!
Lisa says
I had 3 acorn squash sitting on my counter from our last CSA delivery and I was baffled on how to make them. I searched on Pinterest and found this recipe. My husband and I loved it. I will be making it again and will not be scared of acorn squash again! LOL
Thanks for sharing!
Lisa Le says
Ahahah I’m so glad it’s not as intimidating to you! They’re so delicious and such an easy meal
Tom Legrady says
The only thing better than living in Toronto is leaving Toronto … KWC all the way!
PS, looking forward to making something similar for friends
Tom Legrady says
But I think it needs to go back in the oven for a while
A possible excuse is to melt the late-add cheese
Michelle says
Do you know how many calories half of one is?
Lisa Le says
Hi Michelle! Sorry I don’t have that information :( You could try inputting it into Chronometer or My Fitness Pal to see for yourself but I haven’t ever done that with this recipe.