Maybe you’re not vegan but you love to test out new veggie filled recipes! Or maybe you are vegan and need some new dinner options! Either way give this Baked Stuffed Pumpkin a try as either a creative side or a meal option this week.
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized pumpkin or round squash (about 1kg)
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup wild rice
1 large fennel bulb
1 Apple
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp fennel seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1 large pack parsley, roughly chopped
3 tbsp tahini
pomegranate seeds, to serve
Directions:
STEP 1- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the top off the pumpkin or squash and scoop out the seeds. Put the pumpkin on a baking tray, rub with 2 tbsp of oil inside and out, and season well. Roast in the center of the oven for 45 mins or until tender, with the ‘lid’ on the side.
STEP 2- Meanwhile, rinse the wild rice well and cook following the box instructions. Once cooked, set the rice aside and let it cool. Thinly slice the fennel bulb and apple, then squeeze over ½ of the lemon juice.
STEP 3- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Fry the fennel seeds and chili flakes, then, once the seeds begin to pop, stir in ½ of the garlic and the fennel. Cook for 5 mins until softened, then mix in the apple, pecans and lemon zest. Remove from the heat. Add the mixture to the the cooked rice, then stir in the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
STEP 4- Pack the mixture into the cooked pumpkin and return to the oven for 10-15 mins until everything is piping hot. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining lemon juice with the tahini, the rest of the garlic and enough water to make a dressing. Serve the pumpkin topped with pomegranate seeds and the dressing.
Recipe and photo courtesy of: BBC