The Christmas Stuffed Squash
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Festive flavours are some of my favourite... heartwarming spices, boozy sauces & lots of chunky veggies. I'm really excited for Christmas this year & want to enjoy every mouthful but truthfully, I get really anxious about the amount of food the festive period can invite & all the rich though tasty treats that cram supermarket shelves and line market stalls. Don't get me wrong, I welcome December being about a little bit of indulgence & this year I want join in with treating myself too but at my own pace. So, for my 25th December main I've mixed up a comforting, plantbased and wholesome recipe that invites nourishment not punishment!
I really like using squash in recipes because it adds such a 'fleshy' texture to vegan bowls which are sometimes lacking a bit of bulk. For me, the best parts of Christmas dinner are all the odd bits & bobs... mashed carrots ~ roasted parsnips ~ shredded sprouts ~ roasties... I could just eat a plateful drizzled with lots of veggie gravy. I do on Boxing Day! But I love cooking so wanted to make myself an extra special main to get excited about.
The fab thing about squash is all the shapes & sizes they come in. I'm going to pick a smaller, chubby one for Christmas Day as I'll be eating one half & the other half everyone else can dig into! But this recipe is also great for a table pleasing, bit of a different side other than carrots, sprouts etc. as everybody can take a chunk which is full to the brim of festive veggies. Usually, there's a bit of stuffing leftover too but I'll get to that later...
In my trial run I added bulgur to my sautéed stuffing but on the big day I think I'm going to skip it. It'd be fab as a salad-style starter but I found adding wheat a bit too filling for me, even though much of the squash is scooped out. I want to save space for all the other amazing veggies & scraps!
Christmas unfortunately brings a big load of unnecessary food waste every year. Panic buying ~ mouldy sprouts ~ unwanted leftovers ~ 'ugly' veg ~ buying too much ~ discarded carrot heads ~ heaps of gifted sweet treats. So this year why not keep all those scraps for mixing up a big festive broth? Or a pilaf? Or even some gravy for another round? Here's what I did with the leftovers of this recipe & a few healthy ideas for post-Christmas meals that won't leave you uncomfortably bloated...
When I tested this recipe out, I made far too much stuffing for squash... but first, don't forget about the seeds & flesh scooped out to make room for the festive mixture! I like to toast the seeds until golden brown then save to stir into the stuffing & sprinkle over the squash. For the scooped squash, why not mash & serve as a Christmassy side or add to the leftover stuffing mixture? That's what I did above! I had quite a bit of stuffing left so added the flesh & heated up the day after for a hearty, bulgur bowl. Here are a few more ideas...
Brunch Bubble & Squeak ~ not the healthiest option but hearty after a chilly morning walk! Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a pan on a low-med heat & add alllllll the leftovers. Slowly stir the mixture until heated then press flat into the pan. Increase the heat to med-high & let cook for around 5 mins until golden brown. Flip the patty & allow the other side to brown before cutting into chunks & sharing.
Festive burgers ~ fab topped with cranberry sauce, shredded sprouts & toasted almonds on a brioche bun! Boil 100g grains of your choice (bulgur ~ quinoa ~ couscous ~ wild rice ~ pearl barely ~ buckwheat), drain & mix into the heated stuffing. Stir in extra spices, fresh herbs, other leftovers etc. then form little patties with your palms & place onto baking tray lined with greaseproof. Bake in a 180'C oven for around 30-40mins until golden - flipping & checking frequently.
Very Christmassy Pilaf ~ a big bowl of heartwarming health using all the scraps! Boil up some wild rice in the stock from Christmas Day veggie ends & offcuts (some scrap stock tips here) then just before the rice is tender, mix in the leftover stuffing mixture. Let the veggies soak up the juices, stir in chopped herbs & squeeze in a fresh lemon for extra flavour.
Crispy Stir-Fry ~ super simple & super quick for when you're feeling too lazy for the kitchen! Just pop a few chopped shrooms & parboiled sprouts under the grill at a high heat then in a low heat wok, throw in the leftovers ~ chickpeas (save the aquafaba!) ~ toasted almonds ~ dried cranberries ~ raisins ~ pomegranate seeds (save the juice!). Gradually stir the mixture until the shrooms & sprouts are golden. Toss in the grilled veggies along with 1 tsp soy ~ 1/2tsp sesame oil ~ 3tbsp aquafaba ~ 1tbsp pomegranate juice ~ 1tsp mixed spice ~ handful fresh herbs & stir fry on a med-high heat until slightly crisp.
The stuffing mixture is so versatile too! I personally really love dried fruit in my meals - berries are so Christmassy but I think I might have to add dried soft apricots next time too, my all time favourite! I find the cranberries & fresh pomegranate seeds add a hint of sweetness which I'm usually not a big fan of but they taste so festive. Recently, I tried a bulgur salad with a soft, sweet baked pear lying on top & it was w o n d e r f u l. Since then I've been inspired to add fruits to my savouries!
Festive Stuffed Squash
Serves: 2 as a main OR up to 8 as a side
Prep time: 40-45 mins
Cook time: 15-20 mins
Total time: around 1hr
Ingredients:
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 butternut squash
150g baby button mushrooms
handful sprouts (around 8)
200g chickpeas (in aquafaba)
1 small onion
1/2 red bell pepper
large handful raisins
2tbsp dried cranberries
2tbsp pomegranate seeds
toasted squash seeds (leave some to sprinkle!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
large handful fresh coriander
around 8 stalks thyme
1tbsp dired sage
1tbsp mixed spice
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp fennel seeds
1tsp dried rosemary
seasoning
& to sprinkle
1tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 baby cherry tomatoes, halved
pinch toasted almonds
a few toasted squash seeds
1tbsp pomegranate seeds
pinch finely chopped fresh coriander
seasoning
Method:
First, preheat the oven to 200'C then wash all the veggies & allow to dry. Halve the squash & scoop out all the seeds (make sure to keep them to one side!). On a baking tray lined with greaseproof, brush the squash flesh side up with extra virgin olive oil & pop into the oven for 40-45 mins until tender. Remember to keep checking them ~ if they're no longer golden & turning brown but not yet cooked, cover with tin foil until roasted.
Toss the seeds onto another lined baking tray & toast under a high heat grill for around 10 mins or until golden brown. Leave to cool.
While the squash is roasting, parboil the sprouts for around 4-5 mins. Finely chop the mushrooms, onion, red pepper, garlic & sprouts when cooked.
Now, add 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a medium heat wok. Toss in the mushrooms & onion & sauté for around 10 mins just until browning.
Finely chop the fresh coriander & thyme.
Next, into the wok add the pepper, garlic, sprouts, chickpeas (in their aquafaba), raisins, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, toasted squash seeds, seasoning, all the fresh & dry herbs & spices & saute for a further 10-15 mins on a low-med head. Toss frequently until golden.
Once the squash has roasted & is tender to fork, scoop out the flesh leaving about 1cm around the side. Reduce the oven to 180'C. Save the flesh & mix into some simple recipes mentioned above!
Spoon in lots of the stuffing mixture & sprinkle over the halved baby toms, toasted almonds & squash seeds, pomegranate seeds, fresh coriander & seasoning. Brush the remaining sides of squash flesh with a bit of extra virgin olive oil & optionally drizzle some over the stuffing.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 mins, covering with foil if browning too quickly.
