We are exceedingly lucky to have amazing and resourceful neighbors who built a huge garden and share their bounty with us. The other day, they stopped by with a large crate of amazing looking Golden Squash and Cucumbers to give us. A huge thank you to them for making this meal possible. The concept of stuffed squash is really a quintessential “make it your own” sort of idea. I like to think of the squash as the hull of a ship, as it is the frame for your own creative innovation (and it looks like a dug-out canoe in one of the steps). This recipe also works exceedingly well with zucchini, and it is a great way to use those garden fresh squash that are so large that they get a little seedy in the middle.
As for the filling, that’s all your call! We used a mix of caramelized onions, tricolour quinoa, feta cheese, and walnuts before topping it off with a pureed beet sauce. However, we’ve made this with a host of other stuffings…here are some of the ones we liked most:
- Beef or Turkey Chili (great way to use chili leftovers)
- Taco Meat and Fillings
- Sloppy Joe Meat
- Italian Seasoned Meat in Marinara (…with Ricotta even!)
- Mushroom Lover’s Risotto
Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Large Squash with edible skin (Golden, Zucchini, or Summer)
- Your filling of choice We used:
- Tricolour Quinoa
- Caramelized Onions
- Walnuts
- Feta
- A Beet
Method:
- Preprep the filling components that take a while to make:
- Boil your beet until it’s soft
- Cook your quinoa, and set aside
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet with some foil and give it a quick oil spray.
- Cut the ends off of your squash, and carefully, slice it in half longways. Then, use a spoon, scoop the seeds and innards out of your squash as though you’re making a dugout canoe (but without the burning ashes)
- Place your squash on your baking sheet, give it a quick olive oil spray, and place it in the oven to start cooking.
- Turn your attention to your “cargo.”
- Dice and caramelize your onions and walnuts by sauteening in a little butter
- Combine your cooked quinoa, onions, walnuts, and feta
- Puree your beet in a Ninja/Food processor and then simmer it with a little cream to thicken.
- When your squash has started to soften a little, pull it from the oven, load the quinoa/onion/walnut/feta cargo into your vessels, and roast for another 20 or so minutes.
- To finish everything off, top your stuffed squash packages with your pureed beet sauce, and roast everything just a little longer.
- When everything is hot, and your squash is soft, you’re good to to!
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
