Fall

Carnival Squash Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn, and French Lentils

November  6, 2014
4
4 Ratings
Photo by Sarah Kieffer
  • Serves 4
What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the squash:
  • 4 Carnival squash or other dumpling squash
  • Olive oil for brushing
  • For the filling:
  • 1 cup French lentils
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 4 cups (about 1/2 pound) stemmed, chopped kale
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/4 pound feta cheese
  • Salt and pepper
Directions
  1. For the squash:
  2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  3. Slice off the top of the squash to expose the inside. Scoop out the seeds and membranes.
  4. Brush the skin of the squash lightly with the olive oil. Place the squash cut side-down in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a snug, single layer, and pour half an inch of boiling water into the pan.
  5. Bake the squash for about 20 minutes, or until it has softened slightly. Transfer to a plate and let them rest until cool enough to handle. Fill the squash with the cooked filling (recipe follows) and serve.
  1. For the filling:
  2. For the lentils: Bring the lentils, 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil, and simmer on low until lentils are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
  3. For the quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir, cover and simmer over low heat until the grains are tender and reveal their spiral germ, about 15 minutes.
  4. Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, kale, corn, peppers, and 2 tablespoons of water. When the kale is wilted, remove the pan from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the cooked lentils, the cooked quinoa, and the feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • The Principal Cook
    The Principal Cook
  • sarah kieffer | the vanilla bean blog
    sarah kieffer | the vanilla bean blog
  • Deedledum
    Deedledum
  • Joanna
    Joanna
A baker's soliloquy. You can follow along at thevanillabeanblog.com.

4 Reviews

Deedledum November 22, 2015
Sounds yum Sarah-will give it a go this week
 
Joanna November 14, 2014
Yummy recipe to enjoy on weekends. I would like to know that will it be great to purchase ingredients from online health food store ?
 
The P. November 9, 2014
This looks great, but the recipe ends before stuffing the squash. Do you bake the squash after stuffing? I would think you would to help all of the flavors meld.
 
sarah K. November 9, 2014
Sorry about that! I fixed the instructions. You bake the squash, then fill it with the cooked filling.