Filled Pumpkin

Supplies

• 1 medium pumpkin (round) orange or green
• 4 tbsp salted vegetable butter
• 100 g mixed rice (or rice of your choice
• 250 g mixed mushrooms
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 2 cloves of garlic grated
• 30 g pecan nuts roasted and chopped
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme chopped
• 35 g fresh parsley chopped
• 3 tbsp tahini
• Pistachio nuts for on top
• Delicious bread to serve

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C
2. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the seeds. Make sure the wires on the inside are also gone.
3. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray and rub the pumpkin on the inside and outside with 2 tbsp vegetable butter. Sprinkle with some more pepper. If the pumpkin does not stand up well, cut off a slice from the bottom.
4. Roast in the center of the oven for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Cut the mushrooms into small pieces and heat a frying pan with the remaining 2 tbsp vegetable butter. Fry the fennel seeds and chili flakes. When the seeds start to burst, add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms.
6. Bake for 5 minutes until soft, then stir in the pecans and lemon zest. Remove from heat. Mix this with the cooked rice, then stir in the fresh parsley and taste to see if it needs more salt and pepper.
7. Spoon the mixture into the baked pumpkin and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes so that everything is nice and hot.
8. In the meantime, mix the remaining lemon juice with the tahini, the rest of the garlic and enough water to make a dressing.
9. Serve the pumpkin in the middle of the table and sprinkle the pistachios over it and serve with the dressing and bread.