Baked Pumpkin with Mixed Rice Pilaf

By Greywolf

Ingredients

• 1 x6 lb pumpkin, or several small winter squash
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
• 2 small tart apples, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted (optional)
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste
• 3 Tbsp apple cider
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• dash of nutmeg
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 105mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut off the top of the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers and discard.Place the pumpkin, with the top next to it, on a baking sheet. Place the 1 1/2 Tbsp butter in small dollops inside the pumpkin. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake until the inside of the pumpkin is tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and keep warm, covering the top with foil to prevent the flesh from drying out.

Meanwhile, brint the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add the brown and wild rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until most of the water has been absorbed, about 50 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat the 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until golden. Add the apples, pecans, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the apple cider and saute for 5 more minutes. Add the golden raisins and the rice mixture and saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Spoon into the pumpkin and cover tiwth the baked top. When serving, scoop out pumpkin flesh along with the pilaf.