Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Pumpkin

This spiced Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Pumpkin is a complete vegetarian meal that’s perfect to warm up with this Autumn. Butternut Pumpkin is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamin A. The Quinoa (pronounced kin-wah) is a complete plant-based protein with an extraordinary nutrient profile. Combined with the healing herbs and spices, this is one seriously ‘super’ meal. 

Quinoa stuffed butternut

• 2 small butternut pumpkin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red capsicum - diced
• 1 cup quinoa - rinsed really well (190g)
• 5 spring onions - white part finely diced
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ bunch coriander leaves - finely chopped
• ½ bunch mint leaves - finely chopped
• 40 g pine nuts
• 100 g feta 
• 1 lemon zest - finely grated (juice reserved for the drizzle)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper - to taste

Lemon drizzle

• 1 lemon - juice
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 60 ml olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt

To make the quinoa stuffed butternut

1. Heat the oven to 200℃ (fan-forced). Halve the butternut pumpkins, scoop out the seeds and score the flesh with a sharp knife.
2. Place on a lined baking tray and rub with the olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes or until the flesh is soft.
3. Add the red capsicum for the last 10 minutes of baking. 
4. Meanwhile cook the quinoa. Firstly, rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve really well for at least 1 minute (this removes the bitter saponins from the quinoa).
5. Cook the quinoa by placing it into a pot with 2 cups of stock or broth.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all the stock, about 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. This step gives the quinoa time to pop open and the little white spirals to appear. After 5 mins, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
8. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, capsicum, spring onion, spices, mint, pine nuts, feta, lemon zest and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. 
9. When the pumpkin is cooked, spoon the quinoa stuffing onto the four pumpkin halves and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes (to just heat). 
10. Make the drizzle by combining all the remaining ingredients together in a jar. 
11. Serve the stuffed pumpkin halves with the drizzle and enjoy immediately.

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Georgia Harding is a Naturopath (20+ yrs exp.) author, mother and passionate health educator. On her website ‘Well Nourished’ she shares fad-free health advice and intolerance/allergy friendly recipes to inspire people to live happy, healthy lives and create delicious food memories.

Georgia is committed to supporting the health of this generation and especially loves to help parents feed their children ‘well’.  She endeavours to simplify nutrition and make cooking nourishing meals achievable for everyone.