Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin

Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin

This one is actually my dad's recipe and it's delicious! He's been making this recipe for ages and every time he cooks it our family's expectations are high! 
What's pretty awesome about this recipe is that you can use those baby pumpkins and have individual portions, which is a great idea if you want to serve this Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin at a dinner party. :)

ps. If you don't like shrimp, you can substitute it for chicken.. or turkey! ;) Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!!! 

Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin

Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin

Preparation time: 1 hr

Yield: 2 large portions

Level: Medium 

Ingredients

• 1 Small sized pumpkin (Golden Nugget, Sugar Pie)
• 250g Shrimp
• 100g Cream cheese
• 4 tbsp Tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp Onion (1/4 of a medium onion)
• 2 tbsp Green pepper (1/4 of a medium pepper)
• 1 tsp Garlic (1 small clove, chopped)
• 1 tsp Ginger (fresh, chopped)
• 1 Green onion (sliced)
• 1 tbsp Parsley (chopped)
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin

Start by washing your pumpkin and pre-heating your oven at 350 F (175 C). Using a paring knife, cut a lid on the top of the pumpkin.  To do so, insert the knife in a diagonal angle (from out - in) until you notice you've hit its center. Remove the knife and continue doing the same procedure ("diagonal stabbing") in a circle, until you can remove the lid. 

Remove the pumpkin seeds and set them aside (don't forget: pumpkin seeds are a delicious snack when roasted!!!)

Coat the inside of the pumpkin with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast it in the oven for about 15 minutes (test with a tooth pick if the pumpkin is soft). 

While the pumpkin is roasting, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet set to medium high. Add the shrimp, cook them for a couple of minutes, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. When the onion has softened a bit, add tomato sauce, cream cheese and spring onion. Cook until the cream cheese melts and a thick sauce is formed. Season with salt, pepper and the chopped parsley. 

Pour the shrimp sauce into the pumpkin, cover with the lid and bake for 15 minutes more. Serve it with rice or mashed potatoes.