1 large butternut squash
4 tablespoons vegan butter
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 eggplant
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 zucchini
1 leek
1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
5-6 peeled whole garlic cloves
Stuffing ingredients:
2 fire roasted red peppers, finely chopped (from a jar)
1 small white or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or use oil from jar of red peppers)
8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C diced butternut squash pieces (scooped from butternut squash)
Direction:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F
2. Prepare butternut squash, cut squash into 2 even halves. Trim a small piece of the base off one half so it can sit flat in the baking dish. Scoop the seeds and discard. Scoop out insides, leaving about 1/2" - 3/4" border on all sides and creating a divot deep enough to fit eggplant halves inside. Keep the flesh for the stuffing.
3. Brush both halves of the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of butter and maple syrup. Set them in a baking dish while you prepare the other components.
4. Cut eggplant into 2 even halves and scoop out insides, leaving a 1/4" border on all sides to creat a divot deep enough to fit zucchini halves inside. Reserve eggplant filling. Add a sprinkle of sea salt to the eggplant and set aside in a strainer or on a wire rack so they can release moisture.
5. Cut zucchini into 2 even halves. Scoop out insides, leaving a small divot down the center. Reserve zucchini filling. Add a sprinkle of sea salt to the inside of zucchini, set aside in a strainer or on a wire rack so they can release moisture
6. Meanwhile set a large pan over medium heat, add oil, sauté onion and red pepper for 5 minutes.
7. Then Add the remaining stuffing ingredients and sauté for another 8-10 minutes or until squash is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Set aside while you prepare the eggplant, zucchini, and leek.
8. Brush inside of eggplant halves with 1 tablespoons butter. Mix together the bread crumbs and cinnamon, and coat eggplant with that.
9. Brush inside of zucchini halves with 1 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with smoked paprika
10. Cut roughly 1/4 of the leek top off , cut it in half evenly and discard a few pieces from the inside core. Wash the excess dirt off from between the layers.
11. Coat the leek halves with 1 tablespoons of vegan butter and then place peeled whole garlic cloves along the inside of one half of the leek.
13. Put a eggplant half inside the butternut squash and add a bit more stuffing around the sides of the eggplant to fill any gaps. Then put a zucchini half inside the eggplant.
14. Fill the zucchini half with stuffing and put one leek half on top of that.
15. Then work backwards adding the other halves of leek, zucchini, eggplant on top and adding the top of the butternut squash last.
16. Press both sides of the squash together and secure with twine.
17. Bake uncovered for roughly 90 minutes until squash is tender to the touch Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing.