Stuffed Pumpkin

1 Medium Pumpkin 6-8 lbs.
2 ½ Tbsp. water
1 sm. Onion-chopped
1 C. brown rice (dextrinized)*
2 C. veg. broth
1 Med. Eggplant (opt.)**
6 scallions- chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
3-4 carrots thickly sliced
1 1/3 C. cooked black beans
1 C. corn
½ C. slivered almonds
½ C. pumpkin seeds
1/3 C. sunflower seeds
salt to taste

Cut a 7” hole in pumpkin—clean and sprinkle liberally with salt. (Set aside) Sauté onions in 2 ½ Tbsp. water add rice, stir. Add broth to rice, cover and cook 45 min.or until rice is tender and broth is gone.

**Wash eggplant-slice it and sprinkle with salt…let set 30 min. then rinse, dry and cube.

Saute scallions and garlic in a small amount of water add eggplant and cook 10 min. (stir) Season with 1 tsp. salt.

Steam carrots until half tender. Combine rice, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, eggplant, carrots, beans, and corn.

Toss lightly, add salt to taste.

Rinse out pumpkin and pat dry…Stuff pumpkin, put on lid and place in a shallow baking dish which has about ¼ inch water in bottom.

Bake at 425 about 1 hour or until soft to touch and pumpkin is beginning to blister.

Slice pumpkin and serve with a nice tossed salad.

*Dextrinize-(toast) Dextrinizing grains before adding water helps to break down raw starch in grains. Dextrinizing may be done in the oven or on top of the stove. No water is involved, only dry heat. For the oven, use a cookie sheet with sides and stir grains occasionally at 250 F. For the stove top, use a flat-bottomed skillet and stir almost constantly over medium heat. Grains will become lightly browned and will smell nutty. Oven method takes about 45 minutes. Stovetop about 10 to 12 min.