10 October 2011

Day 10-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Stuffed Samhuinn Pumpkins

The sweet recipes will return later this week once Pixie is off her steroids.  She gets borderline diabetic these weeks so we have to adjust the diets accordingly, which means limited sugar and carbs.  For carnivores, this recipe can easily include some ground meat-cut the mushrooms down to  1/2 to 1 cup, and add 1/2lb of browned meat. Sub meat stock for veg if you wish.

Stuffed Samhuinn Pumpkins

4 small pumpkins (individual serving size or large enough to hold 1 1/2 - 2 cups of stuffing)
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup coarse bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I usually do a full cup)
2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup  celery, diced
1/2 cup  carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or olive oil
2 cups vegetable or garlic stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp winter savoury
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple cider

Cut a hole in the top of 4 well washed pumpkins, saving the lids. Clean out the seeds and string, rub olive oil on all surfaces.  Season the inside with salt & pepper. Arrange them in a baking dish and set aside.

Saute  onion, garlic, celery and carrot in 1TB olive oil until soft. Add the pecans and mushrooms and saute about two minutes. Mix in the bread crumbs, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture evenly among the four pumpkins. Pour 1 cup stock into the pan around the outside of the pumpkins. Dot generously with butter, put the lids back on the pumpkins and cover loosely with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the pumpkin is very soft and well done. Add more veg/garlic stock to the dish if too much evaporates during baking as you want these moist.

Remove the pumpkins from the pan and onto serving dish(es).  Strain the juices from the baking dish into a measuring cup, add broth until the liquid equals 2 cups.  Pour into small saucepan and add the apple sauce and apple cider, and bring to a boil and allow to reduce slightly. Drizzle over the pumpkins. Serve.

~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

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