Acorn, butternut and kabocha squash can be cut in half and filled with a delicious stuffing to provide the perfect centerpiece to any holiday table.  Here are some recipes to form the centerpiece of a truly delicious Thanksgiving Feast:

Reprinted from www.nutritionmd.org with permission

Stuffed Winter Squash
Makes 6 servings
Golden squash halves, mounded with stuffing and topped with apricot sauce make a visual feast worthy of any holiday meal. Use any of the smaller varieties of winter squash, including acorn squash, delicata, sweet dumpling, or kabocha.

3 medium winter squash
½ cup water
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms (about ½ pound)
1 cup sliced celery (2 large stalks)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
4 cups whole-wheat bread cubes
½ cup chopped dried apricots
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 water or vegetable broth, if needed
2 cups apricot nectar
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Steam until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 to 30 minutes.   Heat ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, and celery. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in parsley, bread cubes, apricots, sage, marjoram, thyme, and black pepper. The mixture should be moist enough to hold together, but not wet. If it is too dry, add a small amount of water or vegetable broth.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide stuffing mixture evenly among squash halves and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix apricot nectar with ginger, coriander, cinnamon, maple syrup, cornstarch, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until clear and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Make a depression in the top of the stuffing on each squash. Fill with apricot sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Pumpkin Custard Pie
Makes 1 pie
Cornstarch is used as a thickener in place of eggs in this pie.

1½ cups soymilk
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ cups solid-pack canned pumpkin or cooked pumpkin
½ cup raw sugar or other sweetener
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Fat-Free Pie Crust or unbaked commercial pie crust

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk together soymilk and cornstarch until smooth, then blend in pumpkin, sugar or other sweetener, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Pour into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes, or until firm. Cool before cutting.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Makes 36 3-inch cookies
These plump, moist cookies are easy to make and delicious.

3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
4 teaspoons sodium-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 15-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin (about 2 cups)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup molasses
1 cup soymilk, rice milk, or water
1 cup raisins
1 vegetable oil spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, molasses, and non-dairy milk or water. Combine the two mixtures, then stir in raisins.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a vegetable oil sprayed baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet with a spatula and place on a rack to cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.