Stuffed pumpkin.
This is such an unusual presentation and a perfectly wonderful main meal. The fun of this recipe is that you really can experiment with the vegetables, replacing those you don’t love or adding veggies that you think might really add to the fun. This is a fantastic WOW meal that really will surprise your family and your guests. Take a gamble and try baking one this weekend.
Ingredients:
1 medium-size pie pumpkin (about 6-8 pounds )
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium-large eggplant
Salt to taste
1 cup basmati rice
3-1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 small carrots, sliced
1 cup green beans, cut in pieces
1-2 small zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1-1/4 cups cooked kidney beans
1/2 cups walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon each oregano and thyme
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 scallions, sliced
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a circle out of the top of the pumpkin (leaving the stem intact). Carefully scrape out all the seeds and thready pulp. Wash out inside.
Make a marinade with 1 tablespoon each of the lemon juice and soy sauce. Rub on the inside of the pumpkin. Bake pumpkin for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and cover with aluminum foil to keep it moist.
Wash the eggplant and slice it crosswise with 1/2 inch thickness. Sprinkle the slices with salt on both sides and allow them to sit for 20 to 30 minutes as the excess water seeps out. (This will help the eggplant not to absorb so much oil when cooked.)
In a medium-size saucepan, cook the rice in 3 cups of the broth over medium heat for 30 minutes with the chopped onion and garlic. While the rice is cooking, assemble the carrots, green beans, zucchinis, cooked kidney beans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and herbs for the stuffing.
Rinse and pat eggplant dry. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the eggplant for about 10 minutes. Turn to low and add the scallions, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce. Immediately cover, and steam for 1-2 minutes.
Add the cooked rice and eggplant to the stuffing mixture. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the pumpkin and replace the lid. Bake in the preheated oven (400 degrees) for 1 hour, or until the pumpkin is soft to the touch.
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