Spiced Kabocha Shepherd’s Pie

Merry Christmas (…or happy holidays), everyone! :]

Jun found this awesome youtube channel with the cutest recipes in the world and I’ve been finding and saving half a billion recipes from instagram. Between the two of us stockpiling, our shared Google doc called “FOODING MADNESS!!! <3” has been growing at an exponential rate for the past couple months in anticipation of my return. :O We met up the day after I first got home and made three things (+ also made plans to make about 19 other dishes; don’t judge us)!

I absolutely adore this recipe (adapted from here!) and definitely want to make it again sometime soon. :D It’s actually pretty healthy! :D! Just, y’know, not in the quantities that we eat it in. (We pretty much each ate 1/2 the pie in one sitting. Give or take a slice on each end so my family could try it. :O )

We didn’t have cookie cutters, so I cut out some pixelated hearts with a knife. :O

Spiced Kabocha Shepherd’s Pie

165 calories, 5g CHO’s, 12g fat, 11g protein, 1g fiber, 60mg sodium per slice! (8 slices)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. kabocha (Japanese squash)

(“A”)

• 60 mL fresh cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• cracked black pepper

(Meat Mixture)

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced

(“B”)

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1 egg white

(Toppings)

• grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Scoop out the seeds of the kabocha, wash and place on a microwavable dish. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes.
2. Cut it into large chunks (make sure you can cut out the skin later on for cool shapes and stuffs!), cover with plastic wrap again and microwave for 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Scoop out kabocha flesh with a spoon. Mash using a fork while it’s hot. Cut out skin with a cookie cutter or knife into whatever shapes you’d like to use to decorate it the top.
4. Season the mashed kabocha with “A.”
5. Heat 1/2 tbsp EVOO in frying pan. Saute garlic until fragrant, then add onion and saute on low heat until softened.
6. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Season with “B.” Turn off heat and let cool completely. Add egg white + mix well.
7. Preheat oven to 430 F. Pour meat mixture into pie pan. Pour kabocha on top. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and arrange the cut-out-shapes made of kabocha skin on top.
8. Cook for ~20 minutes, or until the top is golden.

Before we baked it! :D