Squash Stuffed with Apple and Raisins
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A tasty vegetarian dish, that can be a little fiddly to cook, but definitely worth the effort.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, halved and de-seeded
- Low fat cooking spray
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1large long shallot, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, chopped
- 120g basmati rice
- ½ tsp medium curry powder
- 300mlvegetable stock
- 1 dessert apple, cored and grated roughly
- 50g raisins
- 40g toasted pine nuts
- 30g Parmesan (or similar vegetarian hard cheese)
- Large handful chopped fresh parsley
- 100g low fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190C/fan oven 170C.
- Using a short, sharp knife and a teaspoon, scrape out a little flesh from each half of squash above where you removed the seeds (leave a 2cm thick edge). This will give you more room for the stuffing. Reserve the flesh and chop.
- Spray each squash half with low fat spray and wrap loosely in foil. Place in the oven for45 minutes or until very soft when pierced with a knife.
- Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy based nonstick pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and reserved chopped squash and cook for 8-10 minutes until starting to soften and colour.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more then stir through the rice and curry powder, mixing everything together well.
- Add the stock, cover and cook on a low heat for about 12 minutes or until the rice is just cooked.
- Add the grated apple, raisins, pine nuts, Parmesan and parsley to the rice and stir together, seasoning to taste.
- Open the foil around the squash halves and divide the rice mixture between them.
- Dot each half with a tablespoon of the soft cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes then serve with a large salad or steamed vegetables.
Note: If you have some rice mixture left over once you have stuffed them. Simply keep warm then serve on the side.