Baked Baby Pumpkin
I am not VEGAN but I do understand the philosophy behind the action. So for those of you who wish to adhere to the ethics, enjoy perhaps a ‘meatless Monday’ or simple wish to eat ‘healthy’ then please enjoy my all natural stuffed, baked baby pumpkin recipe.
Vegetable based and power punched with lentils, with the addition touch of pumpkin seeds (my favourite as I am not able to eats nuts). GREAT with a dollop of alternative vegan yoghurt or for me a touch of hot chilli sauce – Semtex as I like to call it – recipe via the link Fiery Chilli Sauce
Ingredients
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4 small baby pumpkin- washed, topped and seeds removed
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Filling:
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2 tbsp olive oil- or coconut oil
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1 large red onion- roughly chopped
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2 large cloves garlic- flaky skin removed and roughly chopped
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1 x 400g can chick peas- drained
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250g button mushrooms- washed, coarsely chopped
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2 stalks of celery- coarsely chopped
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60g pumpkin seeds
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4 whole cinnamon stick- lightly oiled
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Seasoning- Himalayian salt and coarsely ground black pepper
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To serve:
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Boiled jasmine rice- or a nutty brown rice
Instructions
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Prepare filling:
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01 Prepare all the vegetables, either chop by hand or place in a food processor and pulse quickly to a coarse chop.
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02 In a pan, add the olive oil and add the onion. Cook until soft and translucent, now add the garlic, aubergine, courgettes, mushrooms and chick peas. Raise the heat and pan fry for 10 minutes or so. Add the seasoning and seeds. Leave to cool.
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Prepare baby pumpkin:
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03 Wash well and with a sharp knife remove the top of the squash creating a lid. Remove all seeds, using scissors and a tablespoon from inside the squash and inside the top. Trim the base of the vegetable if it will not stand straight.
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Assemble:
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04 First oil a baking dish and around the sides of the pumpkin. Fill the hollowed pumpkin with the cool stuffing well to the brim. Take the cinnamon stick and push well into the filling. Replace the lids and pour a small amount of olive oil over the top. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake in the oven until tender.
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To serve:
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05 Either remove from the tray and serve whole on a bed of freshly cooked rice or scoop out the filling (see picture).
Notes
Try to always select small individual pumpkins as this meal is very filling. I like to use individual pumpkins and let everyone have their own but it is possible to bake as one large whole. Be very careful when you remove the lids, as often the skin and flesh of this type of vegetable is very tough and exceptionally hard to cut through, and you do not want to cut yourself and end up in hospital!
