Tama's Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed With Couscous & Dried Fruit

1 large acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup celery, chopped fine

1/4 cup carrots, chopped fine

1/4 cup sliced button mushrooms

1/2 cup chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup dried fruit, chopped fine or 1/4 cup golden raisins

1 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

3/4 cup uncooked couscous

1/8 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put squash halves cut side down on a piece of tin foil on a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, or until tender.

Put brown sugar and butter in a small glass dish and microwave briefly to melt the butter, or put into a small saucepan and heat briefly until butter melts. Stir the mixture with a brush and brush it over the meat of the squash. Wrap the squash halves in tin foil and set back in the still warm oven to keep the squash warm.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan (with a tight fitting lid for steaming the couscous later). Stir in the garlic, celery, mushrooms and carrots, and cook 5 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Mix in the cumin, chickpeas and dried fruit; cook another 2 minutes.

Add the broth and mix well. Add the couscous and stir; then cover the saucepan tightly and turn off the heat. Let sit for ten minutes, then stir the couscous. Stuff squash halves with the couscous mixture and top with slivered almonds.

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