Pomegranate, Clementine and Beef -- Slow Cooked in Squash
While telling my hubby that the grocery stores are already stocked with pomegranates and crates of clementines, he suggested I use them together in a recipe. Coincidentally, I had just read a recipe for cranberry and orange quinoa stuffing. The wheels began to turn …
Although I love quinoa, I wanted my stuffing to be made with grass fed ground beef. Also, to keep it gluten free, I used cubed homemade cornbread instead of croutons.
This was one of those recipes that just worked. We loved the citrusy squash and the juicy beef. A few fresh pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top really brought out the pomegranate flavours in the beef so I highly recommend them as a garnish. They contribute to more than the appetizing appearance.
Pomegranate, Clementine and Beef Stuffed Squash
Prep:
20 minutes
Cook:
6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high)
Yield: 4 servings (prepared in a 6.5 quart slow cooker )
- 2 halved and seeded acorn squash
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup minced onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 clementines juice and zest
- 1⁄2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1⁄4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups cubed cornbread (or regular unseasoned croutons)
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1⁄2 cups whole pomegranate seeds
Slice the squash in half, length-wise. Remove the seeds and set aside.
In a large skillet brown the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small chunks while stirring.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the clementine zest, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
Remove from the heat and add the cornbread. Stir in the clementine juice and then add the pomegranate juice ½ cup at a time. The amount of juice you need will depend on your bread. The stuffing should be wet enough to hold its shape when pressed into the squash.
Once the juice is added, use a spoon gently stuff the mixture into each of the squash halves.
Place into your slow cooker skin side down and cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3).
