Stuffed Squash
Roasted stuffed squash filled with wild rice, mushrooms, walnuts and herbs, a deliciously festive main dish.
Servings 4
Calories 402kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Harlequin Squash (630g each) cut in half lengthways, seeds scooped out
- 100 g wild & red rice dry raw weight
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon optional (gf,vg)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt divided
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper divided
- half a red onion (90g) peeled then finely chopped
- 100 g chestnut mushrooms wiped cleaned then roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 or 5 sage leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
- 40 g walnut halves chopped
- 60 g feta
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/392f.Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and any stringy flesh.Brush the insides of the halved squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper over the squash. Place them skin-side down on a baking tray and bake for 35 minutes or until the flesh is soft, test with a knife.
- While the squash is roasting make the filling. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, I add a level teaspoon of vegetable bouillon to the rice when cooking for extra flavour, but you can leave it out if you wish.
- While the rice is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper and the herbs, cook for 5 minutes. Set aside until the rice is cooked.
- Place the dried cranberries into a small bowl, cover with warm water and leave for about 20 minutes. Once plump, drain and roughly chop.
- Once the rice is cooked add it to a large mixing bowl along with the onion & mushroom mixture, the chopped walnuts, cranberries, half a teaspoon each of salt and black pepper and mix well.
- Spoon the filling mixture into the squash, pat it down with the back of the spoon and then add some more, it's ok for the filling to be heaped here.
- Crumble the feta over the mixture and bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Once cooked sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the squash and serve immediately.
Notes
- Squash - I use Harlequin squash for this recipe but acorn squash or a short butternut squash will work too.
- Rice - Wild rice is best for this recipe, I use a mix of wild and black rice, pre-mixed.
- Mushrooms - Chestnut/brown mushrooms are perfect in this. I have used a mix of brown and wild mushrooms which work well too.
- Storing/freezing - Due to the rice I do not recommend freezing or storing the filling or the stuffed squash. Rice that is not reheated properly can contain dangerous bacteria which can cause food poisoning, so please be very aware of this.
- Can I make this vegan? This is really easy to make vegan, simply omit the feta or substitute with your favourite vegan soft cheese. And use a vegan vegetable bouillon.
- Is this gluten-free? Yes, just use a gluten-free bouillon when cooking the rice or omit it altogether.
- Nutrition - Nutritional information is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on a serving of one.
Nutrition
Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.1g | Protein: 11.9g | Fat: 15.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 706mg | Potassium: 1355mg | Fiber: 8.6g | Sugar: 4.1g | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 4mg