This filling, tantalizing stuffed pumpkin is filled with some of my favourite ingredients. Every bite is full of flavour and packed with goodness.
This dish is vegetarian, and if you omit the feta, it’s vegan. The pistachio, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds create a crispy texture. The cumin, mixed spice, cinnamon and pine nuts give it a Mediterranean flavour.
Ingredients
1 butternut pumpkin (1.2 kg approx) cut in half
OR 2 halves butternut pumpkin 600g each (that’s what I did)
6 pinches of cinnamon
Oil spray
2 tablespoons oil
1 Spanish onion, diced
½ cup peas
½ cup corn kernels
2 cups diced button mushrooms
¼ cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, crushed
100g fresh baby spinach
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups cooked quinoa
100gr grated fetta
handful of chopped coriander
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper according to taste
Topping
According to taste
A sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
A sprinkle of sunflower seeds
A sprinkle of smashed pistachio
Method
Heat the oven to 180C
Sprinkle three pinches of cinnamon on each of the pumpkins and spray with oil.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin on tray, cut side facing up.
Roast in the oven until cooked through 45-55 min.
Meanwhile cook quinoa enough to make two cups (cook according to packet instructions).
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Saute onions, stir in pine nuts and cook till they start to turn golden. Add garlic, peas, corn, mushrooms, spinach leaves, chopped coriander, grated feta, cumin, cinnamon, curry, mixed spice, salt and pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes for flavours to come together.
Mix lemon juice with quinoa then add quinoa to vegetable mixture. Make sure everything gets thoroughly combined.
Stuff pumpkins with equal amount of mixture. Garnish with smashed pistachio, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Love,
Nava.
PS - I love hearing from you! Let me know how it went and feel free to spread the word/passion/love, the more the merrier!
