Possible Allergy warning – please read all recipes carefully
and be aware of any allergies or sensitivities that may affect your health and well-being

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The central part of the Empire is a fertile plain with enough rain and numerous rivers, allowing productive agriculture. And while the main diet of the commoners consists of different cereals, there are alternatives to spice up a good meal.

Squash is harvested relatively late in the year, after the main work in the fields is done. It's easy to grow and frugal. Another reason why this plant is popular is the fact that the fruits can be stored for a longer time and offer variety on the dining table until deep in the winter.

Walnuts are another small, but important part of commoners diet. Like Squash, they can be stored for a long time, years actually and they are among the few things that the people of the Empire can still gather in the wild, mainly in the larger forests. Though there are also a lot of cultivated trees around the villages.

Scholars and physicists have known for a long time how healthy these nuts are, too.

This meal combines these typical autumnal ingredients with meat and cheese, as well as some exotic spices. Definitely not an everyday meal but something the average worker in an imperial city can enjoy every now and then, when it's the right time of the year. And with it's variety of ingredients it's not just popular with the humans but also Amandir, Minda or canids enjoy it.

Servings: 2 halves Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: approx. 60-70 minutes
Ingredients

For the Squash

1 Butternut Squash (medium size, approx. 1–1.2 kg)

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Paprika Powder

For the Filling

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion (finely diced)

500 g Ground Meat (beef, mixed, or lamb)*

100 g Walnuts (roughly chopped)

200 g Feta Cheese (crumbled, divided into two parts)

1 tbsp Ras el Hanout

Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Prepare and Pre-Bake the Squash:

Preheat the oven to 200 °C fan/convection (or 220 °C top/bottom heat). (400 degrees Fahrenheit approx)

Wash the butternut squash, cut it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Optionally, remove the skin as well, as it can be pretty tough.

Remove a portion of the flesh (approx. 100g) to create larger hollows. Dice the removed flesh and set it aside.

Brush the cut surfaces with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Place the halves cut-side up on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for approx. 30 minutes.

Prepare the Ground Meat Filling:

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan without oil and set them aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the onion until translucent.

Add the ground meat to the pan and brown, breaking it up into crumbles. Season with salt and pepper.

Then add the diced squash flesh and season everything with Ras el Hanout. Cook until the squash pieces are slightly soft.

Crumble the feta and mix it with the toasted walnuts into the filling. Taste and adjust seasoning. (You can save a little Feta for the topping if you like).

Stuff and Finish Baking:

Take the pre-baked squash halves out of the oven.

Distribute the ground meat filling evenly into the hollowed-out halves.

Optionally: Sprinkle the remaining Feta over the top.

Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for another 20–25 minutes until the squash is completely tender and the Feta golden brown.

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* From Chris: For those looking for a Vegetarian option, the ground meat can easily be substituted with a mix of cooked lentils and chickpeas.
AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DO *NOT* THROW OUT THE SEEDS AS YOU CAN SAVE THOSE FOR GROWING MORE SQUASH OR EATING THE SEEDS AS A SNACK.