Stuffed Pumpkins with Grains and "Chicken"

My friend, Michele, is my favorite guinea pig when I try out a new recipe. Not only is she guaranteed to try everything, she also washes every dish. Who could ask for more?



She came over for this little pumpkin experiment. I'm working on ideas for Thanksgiving and I thought the flavors and presentation would make this a beautiful side dish.



Stuffed Pumpkins with Grains and "Chicken"

4 small pumpkins
1 quart Imagine No-Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Earth Balance
¼ cup long-grain brown rice
¼ cup forbidden rice
½ cup wheat berries
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ pound ground Match "Chicken" meat
½ cup dried cranberries (optional)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon coarsley-ground black pepper
Salt to taste



1. Cut pumpkin tops off and scoop out the seeds (save those seeds! Roast them later!). Place pumpkins face-down in a baking dish. Add ½" of water to dish. Bake at 450º until you can pierce the skin with a fork (about 45 minutes to an hour).

2. Scoop flesh out of shells with a spoon (make sure to reserve the shells; you'll be using them as serving dishes). Put cooked pumpkin in a food processor and pulse until it is the consistency of a thick purée. Keep shells warm and set aside 1 cup of the purée until the rest of the recipe is prepared (go ahead and freeze the rest of the purée if you have more than a cup to use another time).

3. In a small pot, warm broth over low heat.

4. In a large skillet, melt the Earth's Balance over medium heat, then add the rice and barley and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the grains with the nutmeg and stir in half of the warm broth. Cook until broth bubbles, about 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, cook the Match "chicken" in a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Season with cinnamon, ginger and pepper as it cooks. Add the cranberries if using, and stir until heated through. Set aside.

6. Stir remaining broth into the grains, ½ cup at a time, allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more. Cook until the barley is tender, about 18 minutes.

7. When grains are tender, stir in the pumpkin. Cook over medium heat until just heated through, about 1 minute more. Add the cooked Match "chicken" and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning and add salt if needed. Scoop mixture into warm pumpkin shells and serve.