Stuffed Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Servings: 1 squash
1 medium butternut squash
150 g tempeh or tempeh bacon – crumbled
105 ml water
9 sprigs thyme
50 g cranberries or 2 T cranberry jam
40 g dried onions
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 T fresh sage (finely chopped)
200 g toasted almond flakes
½ tsp chili flakes
3 T chopped garlic
1 small orange (zested)
½ teaspoon wholegrain mustard
200 g kale
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 garlic head
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Halve the butternut squash vertically and scoop out the seeds with a soup spoon. Oil a non-stick roasting tray and inside of the squash. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and 1 tbsp spoon garlic and half the thyme. Lay both halves, cut side down, in the roasting tray and roast for 45 mins, or until just tender.
- Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then carefully turn the halves over and scoop out the insides along the length of each squash half, leaving an even 2cm border of squash all around the edge. Be careful not to rip the skin. Put the inside of the squash in a mixing bowl with mustard and orange zest.
- While the squash halves cook, mix together the tempeh, almonds, cranberries, dried onion, chili, smoked paprika, garlic, nutmeg, fresh sage, salt, pepper, orange zest and mustard, and allow it to set in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile gently pull the kale leaves off the stalks, wash, dry and pack into the centre of both sides of squash once cooled.
- Now divide the sausage mix between both halves packing down tightly and evenly.
- Put the two halves together to make a butternut squash shape and tie together several times along the length of the squash with kitchen string. Return to the roasting tin.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then add the halved garlic heads to the tin with the remaining thyme sprigs, drizzling them with 1 tbsp oil. Bake for a further 30-40 mins, until the squash is completely tender and piping hot.
- Allow to set for 20 min covered before serving.
Recipe from Food & Living Vegan
