vegetarian stuffed squash
Since signing up to a weekly veggie box delivery, I have managed to convince my whole family that it is fun to be surprised every Friday with an eclectic array of seasonal organic vegetables. New colours, shapes and simply new never tried ones!
Aside from the good looking nature of this vegetable, the pattypan squash is full of goodness and brings an element of fun to the table!
ingredients
serves 4
4 pattypan squash
250g fresh spinach
100g feta cheese, cubed
125g wild black rice, soaked and cooked
Smoked paprika
method
prep time: 15mins
cook time: 30-40mins
Preheat oven to 175°C
Bring one inch of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce the stem easily.
Drain, and slice off the top of the squash. Carefully scoop out the centers of the squash. Reserve all of the bits of squash.
Mince the reserved squash. Seeds can be discarded or roasted and then eaten.
Combine the cooked rice, spinach and feta cheese in a bowl with the minced squash, mixing well.
Stuff each squash with the mixture, and place them in a baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash are heated through.
the health boost tip
The benefits of eating seasonal squash are many. Squash is an important source of many nutrients, including vitamin C, magnesium, and other antioxidant compounds. Squash also contains very high levels of vitamin A, including carotenoid phytonutrients like lutein.
All of this together helps the body boost its immune response. Just what we need for the colder days.
Wild rice is also nutrient dense, higher in protein than most whole grains and is high in fibre, antioxydants and magnesium.
The stuffing mix can be prepared a day ahead and stored in your fridge. So that's another food prep tip for you all! This vegetarian and balanced stuffing mix can also be used in tomatoes, courgettes or aubergines.
