I’ve never stuffed a squash, cooked or uncooked. However, I’ve always wanted too… if that counts for anything. So last weekend when I purchased three beautiful globe squash, I was a little hesitant as to what I was going to do with them. I mean, could a dehydrator actually produce something that resembled traditional baked squash? I didn’t know, but apparently, was going to find out…
Throwing caution to the wind, I started chopping (and, maybe praying). After scooping out the insides, I filled each shell with about 1 tsp of olive oil, plus a shake or two of sea salt. I then massaged the mixture evenly on the inside of each shell and then popped in the D at 105 degrees… Overnight, they sat.
In the morning, I couldn’t believe it… They. had. wilted. Just like the cooked version.
Next, came the stuffing… After consulting my handy Flavor Bible, I came up with the stuffing…
1.5 C shredded zucchini
1.5 C corn
.75 C shredded carrot
2 T chia seeds (could use flax meal in it’s place)
1/4 C fresh mint, chopped
sea salt, say 1 tsp-ish
I mixed all ingredients together and set aside while I continued on with the sauce…
meat of one young coconut
1/4 C cashews
2 T water or coconut water (more or less blender depending)
1.5 t cumin powder
1.5 ground coriander
dash of pepper
In a high-speed blender, I blended all ingredients till smooth. I took out about 3 T of this sauce and set aside for later use.
In another bowl, I added the cashew creme with the zucchini mixture and stuffed each shell (2), the bit I had leftover, well, I just ate 
Place the stuffed squash back in the D. You’ll want to crank the D up to about 150-160 degrees for the first 2 hours. Then, reduce the heat and leave for another couples of hours. The reason for this, is that because it’s so big and confined, you could easily ferment the inside if the heat isn’t high enough – which, would result in a waste of food and a waste of time – not my thing.
Come dinner time last night, I couldn’t wait to dive in… Seriously, if it weren’t for knowing I needed to take photos, I’m not so sure these would have made it the whole time in the D untouched… good thing for obligations. Before serving, I took the 3 T of cashew creme that I saved earlier and drizzled on top. Viola… It was perfect – just like the baked kind.
So, the verdict. They taste as good as they look – one of my most favorite recipes to date. Not only did I just enjoy this dish, but I think it has much promise for holiday functions, and/or, other gatherings. Plus, I just love portioned meals, as they are easy to pack on the go for things such as work lunches… Perfect.
Hope you enjoy – have a good weekend!
