Stuffed Mirlitons
A filling of shrimp seasoned with garlic and onion top a mirliton squash. A mirliton (MILL-ee-tawn) is a pale green, tropical squash that grows in Acadia (southern Louisiana). In your area, you may find it going by its Latin-American name, chayote (rhymes with coyote). No matter what its name, this squash has a crisp white flesh.
Ingredients
2 8-ounce mirliton squash
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
8 ounces fresh or frozen cooked, shelled shrimp
1 cup soft bread crumbs, toasted (1-1/4 slices)
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Celery leaves (optional)
Directions
1. Cook squash, covered, in enough boiling salted water to cover squash, about 40 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. When cool enough to handle, cut mirlitons lengthwise in half. Remove seeds. Scoop out pulp to within 1/2 inch of skin. Set shells aside. Chop pulp. Drain. Squeeze pulp between paper towels to remove excess liquid. Set aside.
3. For stuffing, cook onion, celery, and garlic in butter or margarine until tender. Remove from heat.
4. Reserve 4 whole shrimp for garnish, if desired. Cut remaining shrimp into small pieces. Stir shrimp, mirliton pulp, toasted bread crumbs, parsley, salt, red pepper, and black pepper into onion mixture. Spoon stuffing into squash shells.
5. Place shells in a 10x6x2-inch baking dish. Bake stuffed squash, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until heated through. Garnish each serving with celery leaves and a whole cooked shrimp, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Stuffed Zucchini: Prepare as directed above, except substitute two 8-ounce zucchini for the mirlitons. Cook zucchini in water for 10 to 15 minutes. To bake, arrange shells in a 12x7-1/2x2-inch baking dish. Continue as directed above, except bake 20 minutes.
Tip: Toasted Bread Crumbs: To toast bread crumbs, spread crumbs in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally.
Source: Better Homes & Gardens
Ingredients
2 8-ounce mirliton squash
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
8 ounces fresh or frozen cooked, shelled shrimp
1 cup soft bread crumbs, toasted (1-1/4 slices)
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Celery leaves (optional)
Directions
1. Cook squash, covered, in enough boiling salted water to cover squash, about 40 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. When cool enough to handle, cut mirlitons lengthwise in half. Remove seeds. Scoop out pulp to within 1/2 inch of skin. Set shells aside. Chop pulp. Drain. Squeeze pulp between paper towels to remove excess liquid. Set aside.
3. For stuffing, cook onion, celery, and garlic in butter or margarine until tender. Remove from heat.
4. Reserve 4 whole shrimp for garnish, if desired. Cut remaining shrimp into small pieces. Stir shrimp, mirliton pulp, toasted bread crumbs, parsley, salt, red pepper, and black pepper into onion mixture. Spoon stuffing into squash shells.
5. Place shells in a 10x6x2-inch baking dish. Bake stuffed squash, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until heated through. Garnish each serving with celery leaves and a whole cooked shrimp, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Stuffed Zucchini: Prepare as directed above, except substitute two 8-ounce zucchini for the mirlitons. Cook zucchini in water for 10 to 15 minutes. To bake, arrange shells in a 12x7-1/2x2-inch baking dish. Continue as directed above, except bake 20 minutes.
Tip: Toasted Bread Crumbs: To toast bread crumbs, spread crumbs in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally.
Source: Better Homes & Gardens
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