In our last post, we talked about the long, rather convoluted path it took for Chele and I to come up with a recipe for a pineapple boat with lobster. This time out, we are continuing with the theme of stuffing food with other food, but the story behind this recipe’s origin couldn’t be more different. The pineapple boat was a great example of how a recipe can start with a vague idea that sits on the back burner for years before it coalesces into reality. That’s great if you have the time to nurture an idea, but sometimes a recipe comes about because you just need to throw something together for dinner using what you have. Such is the story behind this Bison and Dandelion Stuffed Kabocha.
One evening, I found myself needing to put a meal together, but hadn’t pre-planned any sort of menu for the week. I knew I had a kabocha squash and a frozen pack of ground bison meat on hand that I had picked up without any sort of plan for them. I also had a little bit of fresh dandelion greens, diced onion, and part of a red bell pepper leftover from something else I had made earlier in the week. There was a big bag of red lentils in the cupboard. Plenty of seasonings to pick from…. It didn’t take long to figure out that a simple way to make use of all that would be to hollow out that kabocha and shove everything else inside. So that’s what I did.
The overall technique is pretty simple. The meat, pepper, and onion get sauteed, then tossed with blanched dandelion greens, cooked red lentils, and the seasoning. Everything then gets stuffed into the squash and baked until tender. The lentils effectively work as a binder, so the whole thing can be sliced into wedges after it is cooked.
This is the very first time we are posting a recipe using bison (but it is far from the first time Chele and I have cooked with it). Bison has been growing in popularity in recent years, and for good reason. It is very similar in flavor and texture to beef (which shouldn’t come as a surprise once you know that the American bison are in the same family as domestic cattle), and can generally be cooked in exactly the same manner. It has a much lower fat and cholesterol content than beef, but more protein, leading to it being touted as a healthier option for red meat lovers. While it remains more expensive and harder to find than traditional beef, more and more American supermarkets have begun to regularly stock it. If you can get a hold of it (or aren’t willing to try it), beef, venison, turkey, or even chicken should work just fine in this recipe in it’s place.
If you have spent any time on this blog, you already know that we’ve done plenty with kabocha squash (aka Japanese pumpkin) before. If not (or if you just want a refresher), you can find plenty of information on it in our other recipes. For this particular recipe, you are going to want a fairly large kabocha (3 to 4 lbs.) in order to accommodate the stuffing (although I suppose stuffing multiple smaller kabochas would work as well). If you can’t find kabocha squash in your area, similarly-sized hard shell squash like calabaza, turban, or even a small pumpkin could make a decent substitute. Chele and I personally feel that kabocha is far tastier, though. The skin is also quite thin and soft once cooked (similar to what you would find on zucchini or yellow squash, meaning it is completely edible (an added bonus for anyone who is looking to limit waste).
Bison and Dandelion Stuffed Kabocha
Ingredients
- 1 large kabocha 3-4 lbs.
- 1 lb ground bison
- 1 cup split red lentils
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup white onion diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper diced
- 2 green onions chopped
- 3 cups fresh dandelion greens chopped
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp fenugreek ground
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Rinse lentils and place in a small pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and lentils are very soft.
- While lentils are simmering, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add chopped dandelion greens and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Strain out through a colander or mesh strainer and immediately rinse in cold water to stop further cooking. Leave greens in strainer and set aside over a bowl or pot to drain completely.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add bison and cook until completely brown. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 2 tbsp of drippings in the pan and drain any excess.
- Add white onion to pan and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add green onions and red bell pepper. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Add drained dandelion greens. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the greens mix thoroughly with the other vegetables.
- Return bison to the pan. stir in spices and coat thoroughly. Stir in cooked lentils. Continue cooking for another couple of minutes, until the bison is fully reheated.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a circle in the top of the kabocha around the stem to create a lid (jack-o-lantern style). Scrape out and discard the seeds and stringy pulp from inside the squash, including any attached to the lid.
- Brush the inside of the kabocha with a little bit of oil. Spoon bison mixture into the cavity, packing it in tightly to ensure there are no air pockets. Replace the top of the kabocha, then set the entire squash on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake at 375°F for 1 hour, or until kabocha is fork tender.
- Serve by cutting into wedges or using a large serving spoon to portion out chunks of kabocha and filling. Or just set it in the center of the table and pass out some forks for everyone to share.
Notes
- Ground bison is becoming more common in supermarkets throughout North America (here in the Chicago area, we find it regularly stocked at most Meijer and Jewel locations). If it is not available in your area, you can order it online from providers like Fossil Farms.
- Fresh dandelion greens are available in most supermarkets. These cultivated varieties have much larger leaves and tend to be less bitter than the wild dandelions growing in your lawn, but are otherwise identical. You can absolutely use wild dandelions you collected yourself if you prefer, though (just make sure they haven’t been sprayed with any sort of chemicals if you do).
