Fennel and Leek Risotto Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash

Well I don't even know where to start with this meal. It was seriously one of the best dishes I have made in a while and I cannot believe how easy it was to make. On top of that it was so cheap to prepare as well. I put down a whopping dollar for the squash, maybe ten cents for the rice and maybe another dollar for all the other ingredients. It just goes to show that plant based cuisine is not only great tasting (wait 'til you try this recipe out), life-saving (think of the slaughter of animals that goes into making a carnivorous meal) and environmentally friendly (think efficient use of grain, and less global warming methane from cow farts),  but wonderfully inexpensive. Your meals don't have to be full of expensive, weird, and difficult to find ingredients to be vegan and delicious. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy the occasional vegan Philly cheese steak, but there is something about the good old fruits and vegetables that really make your meal super delicious and satisfying.

Leek and Fennel Risotto Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash

1 Sweet Dumpling squash, halved, seeds removed, cooked in 350 degree oven for about 30 mins
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1 leek, halved, trimmed, and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup short grain brown rice
3 cups stock
2 tbsps vegan butter
1/2 cup almond milk
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/4 cups almonds chopped

Sweat the fennel, garlic, and leek in a few glugs of olive oil over med heat. Add the rice and coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of stock to just cover the rice. Stir and let cook. Add more broth when rice absorbs the stock. Repeat until the rice is just about done. Add almond milk and vegan butter. Cook for a bit longer. Stuff the squash with the risotto and sprinkle with almonds. Brown in a 400F oven for about 5-10 minutes.

I served my stuffed squash with a little seitan, lentil and turnip green stew made from leftover lentils. The stew is basically lentils onions, garlic, potatoes, seitan, turnip greens, olive oil, salt, pepper and chipotles. There was a bit of  dry red wine added to deglaze the pan when browning the seitan and a little broth added as well.