Ingredients:

HEALTHY NOTE: Few aromas evoke the holiday spirit better than that of pumpkin. Now you can combine pumpkin with rice and fresh vegetables to create a tasty dish that will also fill your house with the smell of baked pumpkin.

One 5- to 6-lb. pumpkin, or other winter squash
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
5 1/2 cups brown rice
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
8 medium broccoli florets, blanched
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Baking the pumpkin:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a sharp knife, cut a 4-inch lid off top of pumpkin. (Angle cut so lid goes back on more easily, just as you would when carving a jack-o-lantern.) With a large spoon, scoop out seeds and stringy fibers; discard or reserve for another use. Cover hole with a sheet of foil and set pumpkin lid back on top. Place in a baking pan with 1/2-inch water; bake until inside is tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from oven and keep warm.

Cooking the pilaf:
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, peppers, zucchini and shallots. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in rice, raisins, black pepper, turmeric and salt; cook 1 minute more. Add water; cover and cook over medium-low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Fluff pilaf with a fork and stir in broccoli and cilantro if desired.

Serving:
Spoon pilaf into pumpkin and cover with lid. Set stuffed pumpkin on a large platter in center of table. When serving pilaf, scrape inside of pumpkin with serving spoon and mix pumpkin into pilaf.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Calories 371; fat 4g; protein 8g; cholesterol 0g; sodium 291mg; fiber 15g; carbohydrates 90g.

Yield:

4 servings