Monday, May 20, 2013

Black Bean, Rice, and Mango-Stuffed Squash


This is a kabocha squash; it is an Asian variety of winter squash.  Some people call it a "Japanese pumpkin."  I had never heard of it before, not until I was browsing through a cookbook that happened to mention how delicious it was.  The very next day I was at a local produce market and happened to notice the kabocha squash!  So I decided to buy it and try it out.



I cut them in half, removed the seeds, and laid them face down in a shallow bit of water.  Then put them in the oven for 20 minutes.




Meanwhile, I mixed cooked rice, black beans, lemon juice, and parsley in a bowl.  After the squash had been in the oven for 20 minutes, I stuffed the rice mixture into each half and placed it back in the oven for another 30 minutes.



When they came out of the oven, I added fresh, sliced mango.



For the kids, I removed the rice and bean mixture from the squash and put it in a bowl, mixing chunks of squash in with it, so it would be less intimidating.


The kids were skeptical of a new food, (both the mango and the squash), but they liked it okay.  All three ate the squash without problem, but they did not like the mango.  I'm okay with that, because they at least tried it before saying they didn't like it.  After I removed the mango, they were able to clear their bowls.



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