New Year Vegan Dinner: Stuffed Butternut Squash, Apple Salad, and Coconut Cake Layered with Custard

This year we're keeping it simple. It's the boy, the mother, the dogs, and me over a simple vegan new year eve dinner with a glass of champagne. I usually a non-drinker except in times of celebration or excuse to drink the sparkling wine.

I wanted to strip the quantity this time. instead of making too many dishes (which I did for Christmas and the Holiday party), I wanted to tone it down and make something holiday-ish but simple. We have stuffed butternut squash (stuffed with seasoned rice and mushrooms), an apple lettuce salad, and a coconut cake layered with simple vanilla custard. It's all vegan, it's all bright.

I was DELIGHTED to see Butternut squash available at my local supermarket today. I really haven't seen it around before, and the last I've cooked with it has been in the U.S.A. Looks like a slow demand for this western winter squash is rising.

It was the perfect opportunity to make something I've wanted to try for a bit. The rich creamy butternut squash pairs well with a stuffing of herbed rice with mushrooms. You can make this recipe your own by fiddling with your own (and available) seasonings. 

Here's how to make it

What You Need: Stuffed Butternut Squash

One large Butternut squash

Olive Oil

Thyme (dried or fresh)

italian seasoning

2 tablespoons chili flakes (less if you don't want a bite)

1 cup raw rice

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable stock or powder (1 cup or two tablespoons)

1 large carrot

1/2 large onion

2 cups mushroom

6 pods garlic minced

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

1 tablespoon cashew butter

4 tablespoons chopped almonds

How To Make

With a large sharp knife gently cut the butternut squash lengthwise. It should look like the picture above.

Now scoop out the seeds from each round socket. You can discard them or save them to roast for later. 

On an oven, pan add olive oil to the raw butternut squash and rub all over. Now sprinkle seasonings of choice, salt, and pepper. Pop this into a pre-heated oven at 200c for 30-45 min. You'll have to check to see if the squash is tender and 'scoopable'. 

While those are in the oven start to prepare your stuffing. Heat oil in a skillet, add thyme (or any other seasoning like rosemary), garlic, onions, diced carrots and fry well. Throw in your chopped mushrooms. Now add a pinch of sugar to balance it out. Add chili flakes, Italian seasonings, any other mixed seasonings you'd like and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the vegetable stock or powder.

Now if you've used vegetable stock powder like me, add 2.5 cups of water to it. If you've used liquid stock, then add one cup of that and 1.5 cups of plain water. Let it start to bubble. Add nutritional yeast and cashew butter to this and stir. Now add one cup of raw rice and let the fire go on simmer. Check the rice every 5 minutes and stir gently. It should all be cooked in 15-20 minutes. If it's drying up too fast and the rice is not cooked add small amounts of water. 

Check on your squash. If it's cooked well in the oven remove. Give it five minutes to cool so you don't burn your hands. Now gently scoop the soft squash out while leaving an inch of the squash on the peel. Mix the cooked squash to your cooked rice filling. It should look like the picture above!

Now go ahead and fill your squash cases with the filling. Add chopped nuts on top and pop in the oven at 180 for 10 min right before you want to serve!

This is a meal by itself. I'd add a salad to compliment it. You'll see that I've made an apple lettuce salad here with avocado. Simple balsamic olive oil dressing with salt and pepper as dressing.

The cake was simple. While I am not posting recipes for the salad and cake, I'll try to give you the idea. You'll need to make two simple vegan vanilla cakes ( a thin 3-inch layer each time you bake)with coconut essence and freshly grated coconut. 

Separately you'll use custard powder (the cornstarch versions are vegan by default) and boil soya milk as a substitute for milk. Follow package instructions. Now you jsut need to add a thick layer of cooled custard to the cake, add more coconut and sandwich the other cake with it. Tah-Dah!

Well 2018, you've been swell. But are we ever excited for 2019! I have big plans this year and lots of lessons to learn. More kindness to you this year. 

Keep it Real!