Do yourself and the planet a favour by going without meat one day a week.
Easy Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 medium-sized pumpkin
salt and pepper
250ml quinoa
500ml water
5ml salt
60ml prepared basil pesto
125ml grated Parmesan cheese
2 red peppers, quartered
1 brinjal, cut into5mm-thick slices
2 large courgette, sliced lengthwise
2 red onions, peeled and cut into 5mm thick slices
olive oil for cooking
Method
Cut the top off the pumpkin and set aside. Hollow out the pumpkin, leaving a 2cm border.
Season the inside of the pumpkin with salt and pepper
Place the quinoa, water and salt in a pot.
Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, on a medium heat, until the quinoa is cooked.
Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork, and stir in the pesto and Parmesan cheese.
Place the slices of red pepper on a tray and grill until the skins are blackened.
Remove and place in a plastic bag to sweat. Once cool enough to handle, scrape away the blackened skins.
Place the brinjal, courgette and onion slices on a baking tray. Brush well on both sides with olive oil.
Cook them under a grill until done on both sides.
Season the vegetables.
Place a layer of the quinoa mixture in the base of the pumpkin.
Add a layer of red pepper slices, using half the peppers.
Add another layer of quinoa, then a brinjal layer, a layer of quinoa, a layer of courgette, a layer of quinoa, a layer of red onion, a layer of quinoa, and top with a final layer of red peppers.
Replace the lid and wrap the whole pumpkin in foil.
Place in a roasting tin and cook in the oven at 180degC for 2 hours, or until the pumpkin is soft when pierced with a skewer.
Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving in slices.
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.
