Slathered in miso gravy and accompanied with a raw cranberry grapefruit relish, this dish explodes with all of the flavours of a traditional Christmas feast! It can be assembled a day in advance and warms well as leftovers. Partially baked squash is hollowed slightly before being filled with a brazil nut paste and chard wrapped tempeh stuffing.
Preparation time: 1 hour Baking time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 1 large butternut squash (roughly football sized)
- one yellow onion, 1/2 of it minced, the other half grated
- 11/2 cups of brazil nuts ground finely in a food processor
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. ground flax
- 2 large leaves of swiss chard
- 1 pkg. of thawed tempeh, grated coarsely
- 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. tamari
- 3 Tbsp. avocado oil, divided
- one cup veggie broth or 1 cup of water mixed with Veggie Better Than Bouillion Paste
The Squash:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place cut side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until just tender. Hollowing out the squash before you bake it is very difficult! Remove from the oven and allow to sit until cool enough to handle. Create a cavity in each half with a large spoon that is even all the way along the length of the squash. Discard the seeds but keep the flesh that you have scooped out.
Brazil Nut Filling:
In a medium sized fry pan, heat 11/2 Tbsp. of avocado oil. Saute the 1/2 cup of minced onion with a pinch of salt until tender. Add the fresh thyme.
Puree the reserved squash that you scooped out in your blender with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice and a bit of water if necessary to create a smooth paste.
Add the squash puree and the ground brazil nuts to the onion along with the tbsp. of ground flax. and 1/4 tsp. of pepper. Mix well to combine. Taste to adjust seasonings.
Set aside as you prepare the tempeh stuffing.
Tempeh Stuffing:
In a small fry pan heat the remaining 11/2 Tbsp. of avocado oil. Add the remaining grated onion and a pinch of salt. Add the poultry seasoning. Coarsely grate the tempeh into the onion and add one Tbsp. of tamari. Stir well mashing the tempeh slightly with a wooden spoon until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Assembly:
Divide the brazil nut mixture in half. Lay the two halves of squash out on your counter. Line each of the cavities with the mixture, molding it with your hands to build it up slightly around the sides.
Cut one chard leaf to the length of the cavity in your squash. Distribute the tempeh mixture along the leaf and then roll it up. You can use another leaf or two if you need to to ensure that it is well wrapped. This also creates a pretty green layer when you cut into the roast.
Lay the chard wrapped tempeh in the cavity lined with the brazil nut mixture.
Carefully place one half on top of the other, matching up the edges. Wrap with twine to secure the halves together. Lightly oil the top of the squash and then sprinkle with a bit of salt, smoked paprika and pepper.
In a baking dish combine veggie stock with a tbsp. of oil. Place the squash in the baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 F. for 2 hours or until very tender. Every 1/2 hour or so baste the squash with the stock from the bottom of the pan. The skin should brown nicely.
Serve with Miso Gravy and Cranberry Grapefruit relish. (recipe follows)
Miso Gravy:
- 1/2 cup chickpea miso
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 3 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp. tamari
- 2 cups water
In a blender combine all of the ingredients until smooth. Whisk over medium heat until thickened. Add lots of freshly ground pepper to serve.
Raw Cranberry Grapefruit Relish:
- 8 oz. of fresh organic cranberries
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 of a pink grapefruit, peeled
- 2 ,1 in. thin strips of grapefruit peel
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until minced. This relish keeps well in the fridge for several days.