Boutiful Bliss

Yeah! My first real challenge! I have seen these odd shaped squash before while watching Paula Dean, so we meet again....but this time I get to taste you. Now for a little crazy squash 101. These little babies actually go by a bunch of different names. The most common in the U.S. are Mirlitons or Chayote. They are also known as Vegetable Pear, Mango Squash and in France they are called Christophene. The use of these dates back to the Aztecs and Mayans. There are many ways that they can be prepared. In Mexican foods people like to chop them up and put them into soups and stews like potatoes. They can be eaten raw in salads or as they are beloved in New Orleans Stuffed, which is how I decided to cook them, thus they will be named Stuffed Mirlitos in true Louisiana fashion. I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised about just how good these were. They could be eaten as a side dish or as a main dish like a stuffed green pepper.

Stuffed Mirlitons

Now that you have had your lesson for the day let's get cookin'! The first thing that you want to do is wash the Mirlitons and put them in a pot of salted water and boil them like potatoes until they are fork tender. This does take a bit of time so be sure to plan ahead. I was making them to take them to my Mom's for a big family dinner so I was making a double batch so that may be why they took so long. These took about 1 1/2 hours to cook.

Now for the stuffing this is what you will need.

"The Holy Trinity"

1/2 C. Diced Onion

1/3 C. "Bountiful" Diced Green Pepper

1/3 C. "Bountiful" Celery

1/4 C. Butter

*1-2 Cloves Minced Garlic

1/2 C. Italian Bread Crumbs

1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese

1/2 C. Lump Crab Meat

*3/4 Tsp. Heather's Seasoning Salt

2-3 Dashes Cayenne Pepper

Fresh Chives for Garnish

And of Course 3 "Bountiful" Mirlitons, Boiled and cut in half.

Once you have boiled the mirlitons let them cool and cut them in half, take out the seed (and eat it, this is the cooks treat:) Then carefully scoop out the center of the mirlitons leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch shell and save the pulp in a separate bowl. With your hands (I tried to use a fork at first and it did not work) mash the pulp and squeeze out most of the water and set aside. Place the shells into a baking dish. Then in a saute pan melt your butter and add "The Holy Trinity," or the onion, green pepper and celery and saute until they become golden brown. Then add your garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, *Note: I used 2 cloves of garlic and it was a bit garlicky for some, I am a fan of garlic though so I liked it but add it to your taste. Once you can smell the garlic add in all of the remaining ingredients and the reserved pulp leaving the chives out. Continue to saute until the cheese is melted. Scoop the stuffing into the Mirliton shells top with Parmesan cheese, cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly. Then uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes longer until the cheese is melted on top. Chop up your chives, I like to use kitchen scissors and sprinkle them on top for a fresh garnish. Serve and enjoy!

*Note: You can use your favorite Seasoning Salt, I am just partial to my own. This recipe was originally my Grandma Scoville's but I added my own twist on it. It is great to use on just about everything!

Heather's Seasoning Salt

1 C. Lawry's Seasoning Salt

1/2 C. Ground Pepper

1/2 Onion Salt

1 Tbsp. Onion Powder

1/4 C. Garlic Salt

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

2 C. Salt

Mix all together and store in an airtight container.