On an Autumn day
On a day when time slips through my fingers and I don’t have the bandwidth to think about what to make for dinner, I walk into the pantry and open the cupboards in search of quick and easy meal inspiration. Not all of these instances lead to lightbulb moments, but occasionally, something exceptionally tasty springs up.
This prune glazed kabocha squash recipe finds its inception on one of these very instances. After a day that protracted to what seemed infinity, I kicked off my shoes not wanting to ponder dinner making plans while also being too lazy to order take out.
I wore the apron reluctantly, took stock of the pantry items, and put together something that overall sounded like a good idea with what I had at my disposal.
What a good idea it was, indeed. Easy, hearthy, and delicious. A complete meal with only a few simple ingredients. The prune and rosemary glaze highlight the squash and contract beautiful with the smoky vegan beef crumble. Substitute the plan-based meat with ground turkey if you are a meat eater.
Prep Time: 30 min | Roast and Cook Time: 40-50 min | Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium kabocha squash
- 8 prunes, pitted
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- 1 lb plant-based beef crumbles
- 1 celery heart, minced
- 1 grated parsnip
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp plant-based butter
- 3 tsp fennel seed
- Salt to taste
- A handful of roasted peanuts (optional)
Method
Put the prunes in a small heat-proof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Soak for 2 hours.
While the prunes are soaking, prepare the rest of the roasted squash.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
Quarter the kabocha pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Wash and roast to use as a crunchy topping on the roasted pumpkin, or discard.
Roast the squash for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool at room temperature.
For the vegan beef crumbles
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the minced celery heart, crushed garlic cloves, and fennel seed. Brown for a couple of minutes and break in the crumbles. Add the grated parsnip and cook for 10 minutes.
For the glaze
Transfer the prunes and water into a small saucepan, add the rosemary, and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend to obtain a glaze. Add a little liquid (water, or gin if you want to elevate the recipe) to dilute the consistency if you think that it’s too thick. Return to the saucepan, stir in the sugar, and reduce for 5 minutes.
Find out about
Sensible Magazine
our indie slow living quarterly publication
To assemble the dish
Brush the prune glaze over the quartered roasted squash and add a generous scoop of juicy brown vegan beef crumbles. Top with roasted peanuts for a crunch (optional).
