Description:
Recipes from Winter 2022 issue of True Natural Health
Ingredients:
For the butternut pumpkin
1 butternut pumpkin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the stuffing
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 brown onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup brown rice
2 cups vegetable stock
½ cup brown or green lentils, cooked
½ cup of dried fruit (You can choose cranberries, currants or raisins. Or for a lower sugar version, omit the dried fruit and sprinkle with fresh pomegranate)
1 teaspoon fresh sage chopped
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon thyme
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 C – 360 F.
Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds, then put both halves on a baking tray, cut side up.
Drizzle the olive oil on top of each half and rub around to coat.
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes (times will vary with the size of pumpkin) until the pumpkin is cooked and fork tender.
Let it cool enough so that you can handle it.
Scoop out the flesh in the centre of both pumpkin halves, leaving about a 2.5 cm border all around.
For the stuffing
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Sauté the carrots, celery, onion and garlic until softened.
Add the rice and stock to the pan, give it a stir, then cover and bring to a simmer.
Cook until the rice has cooked and fully absorbed the stock (20-30 minutes).
Add in dried fruit, herbs, lentils and pepper. (Walnuts also make a yummy addition, and could be used in addition to or as a replacement for the lentils).
Stir well to combine.
To serve
Return the pumpkin halves to the oven to warm through. When warmed, take the pumpkin out of the oven and fill with stuffing mix. Sprinkle with pomegranate and herbs to serve.
