Santos Recipe for October: Roasted pumpkin with quinoa and cheese stuffing

01 / 10 / 2018 —

We want you to enjoy your kitchen while preparing the simplest to the most elaborate recipes. Alone or in company, in silence or with your favourite music playing in the background, on a rainy day or a hot summer day. This October, we encourage you to try this recipe for Roasted pumpkin with quinoa and cheese stuffing.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1. 1 potimarron (red kuri) squash, weighing approximately 1 kg
2. 90 g tri-colour quinoa (1/2 cup of 125 ml)
3. 200 ml water
4. 75 g feta or blue cheese
5. 50 g walnuts (chopped)
6. Parsley, chives or oregano (finely chopped)
7. Walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 ºC (gas mark 6), heat top and bottom.

Wash the squash very well on the outside and cut it. It can be cut into two halves or you can remove only the top, leaving the whole squash to be used as a bowl.

Remove all the seeds and strands, leaving only the pulp and skin. Cover the stalks with kitchen foil so that they do not burn. Brush with a little oil and place in an ovenproof dish with a little water, with the cavity facing upwards.

Bake the squash for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick can be easily inserted into it. Remove from oven and set aside, keeping it warm.

While the squash is baking, prepare the quinoa.

Wash the quinoa well for a couple of minutes under running water. It is advisable to use a fine mesh strainer. Gently rub the grains between your hands to remove the saponin (a substance with which quinoa is naturally coated and can make it taste a bit soapy or bitter). Once washed, let it drain for a couple of minutes. For the quinoa to acquire a nutty flavour, roast it in a frying pan with no oil until it begins to give off a fragrant nutty aroma.

Place a small pot with one and a half times the volume of water in relation to the volume of quinoa to boil. 90 g of quinoa is equivalent to 1/2 cup, so use 3/4 cup of water.

Once the water comes to a boil, pour the quinoa in, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa appears semi-transparent and spiral-like threads (the germ) appear around each grain. Remove from heat and let it stand for 2 minutes. Separate the grains with a fork. If the quinoa is cooked, but there is still some water left, simply remove from the heat, let it stand and strain to remove any excess liquid.

Mix the hot quinoa with the cheese cut into small pieces, the finely chopped walnuts and aromatic herbs, season with salt and pepper and add a splash of oil. The cheese will melt with the heat of the quinoa and infuse the grains with its intense flavour.

Fill the squash with the quinoa mixture, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

To see photos of the preparation and final presentation of this recipe, please visit the blog Sweet and sour.