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Stuffed Pumpkins with Quinoa: A climate-friendly autumn recipe from Climatarian Kitchen
For autumn, we simply love this climate-friendly autumn recipe for Stuffed Pumpkins With Quinoa. The pumpkins are a low-carbon veg that is local and in-season while being both filling and quite nutritious. Pumpkin is quite healthy, it’s a fiber-rich gourd that is low calorie but high in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, iron, and potassium. The use of fried fennel seeds and chili flakes gives the dish a warm and inviting aroma as the weather turns chilly!
Flexible cooking
At Climatarian Kitchen, we champion the idea of a flexible recipe, or flexi-recipes to mitigate climate change in our eco-friendly recipes. Rather than adhering to a strict set of ingredients, we advocate for the flexibility to modify recipes using different ingredients without changing the underlying character of the dish. This can include flexibility to use:
- Ingredients that are readily available (like food surplus or ingredients you already have and need to use up) to reduce food waste,
- Ingredients that are local and in season (like pumpkins in autumn months) to reduce long-distance food transport and energy use,
- Substitutions to use a low-carbon cost food (like quinoa) instead of a high-carbon cost food (like ground beef).
Quinoa is an excellent substitute for the ground beef that is often used in stuffed vegetable dishes. This ancient grain is a complete protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids the human body needs, making it the functional equivalent of beef, poultry, or seafood in a main or side dish.
Best of all, it has only 2% of the Carbon Cost of an equivalent weight of ground beef.
Recipe tips
Try our stuffed pumpkins with quinoa as an everyday eco-friendly autumn main dish, or offer it to your guests as a showstopper for any of your holiday meals! It can be made in one go or prepared in advance and baked just before serving.
Yield: Serves 4 -6 people
Stuffed Pumpkins with Quinoa: A climate-friendly autumn recipe from Climatarian Kitchen
We simply love this climate-friendly autumn recipe for stuffed pumpkins with quinoa.
Total time
45 mins
Save PDFIngredients
- Small glug of oil
- 1 cup of quinoa (or one small handful of quinoa per person or per pumpkin)
- Your choice of seasonal veg (such as fennel and apple) sliced
- 4-6 small pumpkins
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Fennel seeds, chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp of tahini
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Use a small knife to take the top off the pumpkins and discard the top. Scoop out the inside. Roast the whole pumpkins at 180C in the oven for 10 minutes.
2. Cook the quinoa according to this guide:
- Wash the quinoa by placing it into a colander under cold running water.
- Grab a saucepan, add the quinoa and 2 cups water and bring it to boil. Note: if you are using more than one cup of quinoa, follow a 2:1 ratio of quinoa to water.
- Let the quinoa simmer for around 10 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and cover it. Let the quinoa steam for a few minutes.
- Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
3. Heat a medium-sized pan with the oil. Fry fennel seeds and chilli flakes in oil until they begin to pop.
4. Next, add half of the garlic to the fennel and chili mixture and cook until softened. Mix in the sliced apple and remove from heat.
5. Add cooked quinoa to the mixture, stir in parsley/fresh herbs and season to taste.
6. Stuff the pumpkins with the mix, cover with foil, and bake until heated through.
7. Whisk lemon juice, tahini, remaining garlic, and water to make a dressing.
8. Remove the pumpkins from the oven. Drizzle dressing over them, and serve with seeds to garnish.
Notes
Couscous or rice can be substituted for quinoa – but only quinoa offers a “complete protein”.
Virtually any seasonal veg can be used (not just fennel or apples).
If you don’t like tahini, just use olive oil for the dressing.
For a nuttier flavour, dry fry the spices (cook them without oil).
Try pomegranate seeds to garnish and add a bit of tangy sweetness to the dish.
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