Saturday night supper

When I picked the two yellow summer squash from the garden a few days ago, I knew they were meant to be stuffed. They were about the size of softballs and almost as round, perfect for splitting and filling with...something.

I did an internet search for recipes, and found some, but most of the stuffing involved breadcrumbs, and I had a yen for something more substantial. So here's what I did.

I cooked up some brown rice in broth, enough to yield at least half a cup (or more) per half squash. Meanwhile, I simmered the whole squashes in boiling water till tender--setting them aside when they were done.

I simmered and browned some lowfat chicken sausage (according to package instructions). After setting aside the finished sausage, I sauteed some onion, garlic and mushrooms in the same pan. (I had some cooking liquid I'd saved from the sausages which I used to keep them from getting too dry in the pan.) After all that was done I cut up the sausage and mixed everything with the brown rice, seasoning to taste with italian seasoning herb mix, salt and pepper.

Then I cut the squash in halves and scooped out the seedy centers, leaving the rest of the flesh intact (they were like cups).

I put some jarred marinara in the bottom of a baking dish and arranged the squash in it. Then I scooped rice into each half, mounding it up and pressing kind of firmly so I could put in plenty.

I spooned more marinara onto each squash and topped each with about a quarter cup (a small handful) of grated mozzarella.

I baked it at about 350 (I also had a cobbler in the oven) until I thought it was hot through. Everything was already cooked so I wasn't worried about that. The mozzarella started getting really brown so I wondered if I should have waited to add it till later on...but since I hadn't, I just put foil over it.

And it was deeelicious. Rod ate both his halves (and got really full), but I saved my second one. (Another dinner already made!)

Luckily, since I'd only eaten one, I had NO PROBLEM with peach and blueberry cobbler and ice cream later on. :)

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