Superbly STUFFED
Eat Well|Issue #40, 2022
We don’t know precisely when the idea of stuffing a food with other food first popped into a human mind, but we do know that the first historical record comes from around 2000 years ago in a cookbook by a Roman chef called Apicius. He wrote about stuffing a variety of animals including chickens, rabbits, pigs and even dormice (presumably as an hors d’oeuvre). His stuffing was made from vegetables, herbs, spices, nuts, spelt and offal. Of course, many types of vegetables are also suitable for being stuffed and the ingredients in your stuffing are only limited by your imagination. The wonderful thing about stuffing is the opportunity for complementary tastes and textures that it offers. Try delicious stuffing with our recipes like: Caprese stuffed mushrooms; Mexican stuffed sweet potato; risotto stuffed pumpkin; ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers; mushrooms stuffed with smoked tofu and vegan almond feta; and tomatoes stuffed with mushrooms, baby spinach and brown rice.
Superbly STUFFED
Risotto Stuffed Pumpkin

Recipe / Naomi Sherman

If you’re looking for a show-stopping centrepiece, this dish is it. Whole roasted pumpkin, stuffed with the easiest risotto you’ll ever make.

Serves: 6–8

1 whole pumpkin (3–4kg)

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp sage leaves, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish

2⁄3 cup Arborio rice

2 cups vegetable stock

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.

2. Prick the pumpkin all over with a sharp knife and then roast for 45 mins–1 hour, or until soft. Remove and let cool slightly.

3. Using a sharp knife, cut around the top of the pumpkin and remove the lid in one piece. Scoop the seeds and stringy bits out of the middle and discard.

4. Scoop some of the roasted pumpkin out of the middle, leaving a border around the outside.

5. Mash the pumpkin flesh with a fork and set aside.

6. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat.

7. Add the sage and Arborio rice and cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly.

8. Add the mashed pumpkin and stir through.

9. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

10. Cover the dish and bake for 25–30 mins, or until the rice is tender. You can stir the rice once during cooking, but it isn’t necessary.

11. Once cooked, remove from the oven and stir.

12. Spoon the risotto into the hollowed-out pumpkin and place on a roasting tray.

13. Cover with the pumpkin cap and bake for a further 45 mins–1 hour.

14. Leave whole or cut into wedges and garnish with sage to serve.

This story is from the Issue #40, 2022 edition of Eat Well.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue #40, 2022 edition of Eat Well.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EAT WELLView All
ARE YOU TO FU enough?
Eat Well

ARE YOU TO FU enough?

Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion about tofu. Tofu is a very popular plant-based protein for vegans and vegetarians, but now this humble bean curd is starting to shine for meat lovers too as an alternative source of protein.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue #47
Sweet TRAYBAKES
Eat Well

Sweet TRAYBAKES

Whether you want to feed a group of people or make a batch of treats for the week, traybaking is a no-fuss way to cook up something sweet and easy that will please everyone. Your family and friends will love you when you offer them some of our: cinnamon scrolls; fruity chocolate; espresso brownies; lemon & coconut slice; or ginger cake with brown butter frosting.

time-read
10 mins  |
Issue #47
ROLL UP
Eat Well

ROLL UP

When you roll food, whether in Lebanese bread, a thin pancake or whatever you choose, you can create a parcel of nutrition that is perfectly suited to your own tastes and needs. Here are some roll-up recipes that will suit every occasion including: mango, snow pea, & sprout rice paper rolls; oat crepes with coconut yoghurt & mixed berries; or beef meatball & tzatziki flatbreads.

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue #47
RICE BOWL Lunches
Eat Well

RICE BOWL Lunches

If you are working from home, or even enjoying your weekend, and lunchtime rolls around but you have no plans for lunch, then a rice bowl is an ideal saviour.

time-read
10 mins  |
Issue #47
PLANT-BASED PIES
Eat Well

PLANT-BASED PIES

Pies are a piece of gastronomic brilliance: a filling with a case and lid you can eat is food genius. The first pies date back to Egyptian times and there is a recipe for chicken pie that was carved into stone more than 4000 years ago. For millennia, however, the pie casing was mostly used to cook the filling, but for around 500 years or more we have been eating the pie crust too.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue #47
20 FOOD CRAVING HACKS
Eat Well

20 FOOD CRAVING HACKS

Decipher the deeper causes of your cravings and discover tricks to curtail them.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue #47
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L)
Eat Well

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L)

Eggplant is a wonderful option for vegans and vegetarians, extremely nutritious and highly versatile in the kitchen.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue #47
5 PANTRY SAVIOURS
Eat Well

5 PANTRY SAVIOURS

Whether you're cooking a simple breakfast or something more exotic, here are five pantry food staples you should have on hand to cook plenty of delicious meals in the comfort of your own home.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue #46
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
Eat Well

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Cucumbers are delicious fresh but they also offer plenty more options in the kitchen.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue #46
Our Chefs
Eat Well

Our Chefs

Meet the chefs who bring this issue's recipes to you: Lisa Guy, Georgia Harding, Lee Holmes, Sammy Jones, Raquel Neofit, Naomi Sherman and Ames Starr.

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue #46