Stuff It With Tofu

Easy and quick recipe to make tofu-stuffed delicate squash (including a recipe for ground spicy tofu).

Delicata squash lives up to its name, with it is a subtly-sweet flesh, delicate skin and fine texture. While all squash skins are considered edible, delicata skin actually tastes good, too! It makes it perfect for this elegant main course event.

You can stuff the squash with any stuffing—including meat-based—but the savory flavors of ground spicy tofu (recipe following below) work wonderfully well with the delicata’s sweetness in a vegetarian main (by the way: if you want to make this vegan, don’t add the egg. The texture will be more loose but still hold up well enough in the confines of the squash).

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Tofu-Stuffed Delicata Squash

Serves 4

2 small delicata squash

Ground spicy tofu (following)

Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut the ends of the squash, and divide each one into 2 pieces. Scoop out the seeds (use a melon baller or tablespoon). Season squash on the inside with a sprinkle of salt. Place squash on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes. Take out and leave until cool enough to handle. This step can be done at least a day ahead.

Lower temperature to 400F (or preheat if you continue the next day). Gently stuff the squash with ground tofu. Place on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Serving suggestion (this goes so well with so many different things): plate with herb-roasted potatoes, dark greens (simply sautéed with a little garlic, coarse salt and pepper), and maybe a sautéed mushroom-pan jus!

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Ground Spicy Tofu

Makes about 1 lbs

1 block (300gr) medium-firm tofu

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 small red onion, diced small

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ketjap manis*

1 tablespoon sambal oelek, or to taste*

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 egg 

1 cup breadcrumbs, or as needed

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

*Ketjap manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce. If you can’t find it, substitute suggestion: ½ tablespoon (salty) soy sauce + ½ tablespoon molasses

**sambal oelek is a basic Indonesian chili paste. You can substitute with a chili paste of your liking.

Dry the tofu between kitchen paper (press gently). Put the tofu in a large mixing bowl and use your hands to crumble it completely. Mix in all ingredients. Take a small lump to do a taste test: shape it into a patty and fry in a nonstick pan to taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. If you’re happy with the overall taste, proceed to shape all into patties (I prefer ½-inch thickness and 2-inch diameter but you can make them bigger or smaller).

Cooking the patties in the oven (no fat needed): preheat the oven to 400F. Arrange the patties in a single layer on a non-stick baking pan (or line it with baking paper). Proceed to bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, turning the patties once.