The Ultimate Stuffed Squash Meal
No turkey to see here. Let's spice it up a bit with a Middle East-inspired fall favorite.
Thanksgiving came and went. I was incredibly blessed to not cook a single thing this year, and the dinner was absolutely marvelous. The turkey was truly exceptional. Instead of baking it whole, the parts were separated from the carcass, the breast stuffed and expertly trussed. All the meat cooked evenly and remained tender and juicy. It was the fanciest Thanksgiving spread I’ve seen to date.
One of the star sides turned out to be a last minute addition to the menu of a roasted squash recipe from the New York Times. It struck a chord with me because I had just finished developing a recipe for the Row 7 Koginut squash I grew in the garden over the summer. These squash really do best when their sweetness is counterbalanced with a good deal of acidity and brightness. Both the New York Times recipe, and the one I developed in my kitchen aim to do just that by the use of citrus and yoghurt.
Let us know in the comments if you discovered any new dishes or ways of preparing traditional foods this Thanksgiving.
STUFFED SQUASH
These Row 7 Koginut squash I grew last summer were incredibly productive and required almost no care. I would highly recommend adding them to your garden next year. Whole Foods does carry this variety at certain times of the year, so keep your eyes peeled. The Koginut are particularly sweet, the skins are edible, and they have a fairly large basin for stuffing. Otherwise you could use acorn, honeynut, kabocha, or red kuri in a similar fashion.
WINTER SQUASH STUFFED W SPICED LAMB PILAF
8 servings
2 large Koginut squash, halved and seeded
½ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup raisins
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups basmati rice
3 cups chicken stock
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
2 whole cloves
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
juice and zest of 1 clementine
juice of ½ a lemon
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro
2 cups coconut yoghurt (or greek yoghurt)
pomegranate molasses (for drizzling)
pomegranate seeds
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ dry white wine
olive oil
salt to taste
FOR LAMB
1 lb ground lamb
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
olive oil
salt to taste
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Place cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil and lightly salt.
Roast for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife.
Heat 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and cook until soft, 5–7 minutes.
Add the sliced garlic and sauté 1–2 minutes more.
Add white pepper, cinnamon, cumin, ground coriander, Aleppo pepper, cardamom pods, and whole cloves, and toast for 30 seconds.
Stir in the rice over medium low heat for about 1 minute until it becomes translucent.
Deglaze with white wine and allow to bubble for 30 seconds before adding the chicken stock, and sprinkle generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the raisins, toasted almonds, chickpeas, clementine juice and zest, and finish cooking until rice is al dente (about 5 more minutes). Add liquid if necessary if the rice becomes too dry.
Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, extra spices if desired). Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add garam masala, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, Aleppo pepper, salt, and pepper and toast for 30 seconds.
Add the ground lamb and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the lemon juice.
Drain excess fat if needed.
Add the lamb mixture to the rice mixture, and generously fill each squash cavity, packing it in until it forms a mound.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and mix with panko bread crumbs and parsley. Top the stuffed squash with the panko mixture and return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
Drizzle each stuffed squash half with pomegranate molasses, top with lemon zest, cilantro and pomegranate seeds. Serve with cold coconut yoghurt.
📌 Tips & Variations
Substitute the almonds and raisins for any nuts of dried fruit of your choice.
It is likely you will have leftover rice and lamb, which is delicious served on its own with yoghurt, and a touch of lemon juice and lemon zest.
The busy season is upon us in the world of catering. My publishing schedule is going to be spotty, but I will have more recipes to inspire your Christmas and New Years menus in the coming weeks.
That’s it for this week. Follow me on Instagram where I post daily food content
Join the community
Your comments and feedback in the community help me to know what my readership wants and needs most. Please feel free to share your thoughts or ask for help. I make it a point to answer everyone.
This article includes affiliate links, which means I receive a commission on purchases made through clicks. I only ever share stuff I genuinely love.