Baked squash stuffed with blueberry rice and lime cashew nut cream

This recipe is based on a classic, the stuffed squash. On this instance, we are using green Delicata squashes, a rare find, worth the money and time invested to turn them into delightful bowls of flavours. Their flesh is akin to courgettes but with a buttery and nutty finish. Make sure that the outer skin is flexible to touch and they are not bigger than the average Christmas Snow Globe. Otherwise, they take much longer to cook and are harder to handle.

Ingredients

( feeds 4 )

For the Squash

• 4 green Delicata squashes
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp of allspice
• ½ tsp of clove
• 1 tsp Zaatar
• salt and pepper

For the Blueberry Rice

• 1 cup  of blueberries
• 1 cup brown rice (short grain)
• 250 gr of cavolo nero or curly kale
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 tbsp tamari soya sauce
• 1 tbsp of olive oil

For the Cashew Nut Cream

 

• 1 cup cashew nuts soaked in warm water for 1h (or add cashew butter if rushed for time!)
• 3-4 lime leaves
• Juice of 2 limes
• ½ cup coconut milk

Method

• Cut the top of each squash. Scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon leaving a cavity the size of a ping-pong ball. Season each with a two-finger pinch of allspice and clove, a sprinkle of Zataar and a tsp of olive oil.  Bake them in a tray with about ½ inch of water in a preheated oven 180C. They should be ready in 35-40 min. If they are overgrown, they will take approximately 2 hours.

 

• With the squashes in the oven, dice the onion and shallow fry it in a pan under medium heat until translucent. Then add 3 tbsp of tamari, and reduce the heat to low. Let them caramelize. Then add the blueberries and the kale/ cavolo nero and cook till the greens are wilted.

 

• Cook the rice in boiling water for 25 min. It has to be al dente as it will cook again in the oven inside the squash. Cool and set aside.

 

• In a blender add all the ingredients for the Cashew Nut Cream bar the coconut milk. Blend until smooth, making sure that you mix the ingredients well. Add the coconut milk slowly to help the blending process. Store in the fridge to allow it to set for 15 min.

 

• Combine the onion/blueberry/kale mixture,  adding the grated carrot raw, with your rice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Your stuffing is ready.

 

• Fill each Delicata Squash with the rice stuffing and put back in the oven for another 20 min.

 

• Serve with a dollop of Cashew Nut Cream and a sprinkle of Zaatar.