Green with Envy, Riddled with Guilt

Yet Another Pumpkin Recipe

November 30, 2007 at 4:23 pm Leave a comment

Mini pumpkins and squashes are great for decorating your home during the fall season, but as winter rolls around and the time comes to make space for Christmas trees and mistletoe, we’re presented with the challenge of disposing of these gourd-like objects.

Rather then sending them to the landfill this year, I recommend trying something new:

EAT THEM!!

Stuffed Mini Pumpkin

This recipe works with squashes, gourds and pumpkins, but DO NOT try it with dried, shellacked, or other non-edible decorative gourds. It wouldn’t work, and it might kill you.

ingredients: (serves 4)

 4 small (5-7 inch) pumpkins or squashes, gutted (like you would a jack-o-lantern)

1 cup risotto

vegetable broth

butter or vegetable oil

chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, peas, squash, tomatoes – whatever you’ve got)

3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup bread crumbs

parsley, sage, salt, pepper

Directions:

Prepare the risotto with vegetable broth and oil/butter according to the instructions on the package. Once you’ve used up most of the broth and the risotto is nearly soft enough to eat, add in the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with a few spoonfuls of dried or fresh sage and parsley. When the vegetables are bright in color, but not fully cooked, stir in a half cup of the parmesan and turn off the stove.

Set the oven to 350, and begin scooping the risotto into the pumpkins until each is full to the top. Mix the bread crumbs and remaining parmesan together in a bowl, and then sprinkle it evenly on top of the risotto. Put the risotto-filled pumpkins in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Make sure to let them cool for a bit because they will be steaming hot!

Enjoy!

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