- 1 medium or 2 small butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sun dried tomato paste
- 8 oz. lean ground lamb, beef, or chicken
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
- ½ cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the butternut squash lengthways in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard. Brush the squash with half of the olive oil. Place, cut-side down, on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until just tender. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a thin border. Finely chop the flesh; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, lemon juice and sun dried tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add the ground meat. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 4 minutes or until browned. Add the pomegranate molasses. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chopped squash flesh. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro. Divide the mixture between the halves of the butternut squash.
Cover the baking tray with the stuffed squash on it with foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender. Remove the foil and cook for a further 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Combine the yogurt and 1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses in a bowl. Season. Drizzle the stuffed squash with the yogurt mixture and the toasted nuts. If desired, drizzle with additional pomegranate molasses if you want a little more tang in the dish.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 90 minutes