Baked Stuffed Mirlitons Chayote Or Vegetable Pears Recipes

SHRIMP-STUFFED MIRLITON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the mirliton halves cut-side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add 1 cup of water, cover tightly with foil and bake until soft, cooked through and easily poked with a fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.) Scoop out the pulp--making sure to leave a 1/4-inch border all around--then chop the pulp and reserve. Discard the water from the baking dish and return the scooped-out mirliton halves cut-side down.
• Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter with the Cajun seasoning in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, garlic, bell pepper, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and just begin to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sausage, hot sauce and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the sausage is warmed through and the tomatoes start to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Add the crab, shrimp and reserved mirliton pulp and continue cooking until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Microwave the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe dish until melted, about 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and parsley and stir until well combined.
• Turn each mirliton half over so the cut side is facing up. Stuff each with about 1/2 cup of the crab and shrimp mixture--it will seem like a lot, but that's OK. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and bake until the shrimp are cooked through and the breadcrumbs turn a deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with additional hot sauce if desired.

BAKED CHAYOTE SQUASH

Steps:

• Place the chayote into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until very tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Remove the seed and seed membrane from the chayote using a spoon; discard. Scoop out as much of the remaining pulp as possible into a bowl without puncturing the shell. Pat the shell dry with a paper towel and place in a baking dish; set aside. Squeeze the excess water from the reserved pulp. Stir in the butter, egg, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese until well-blended. Fill each of the chayote shells with the pulp/cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese on top, followed by the bread crumbs.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese has melted, 35 to 45 minutes.

BAKED STUFFED MIRLITONS (CHAYOTE OR VEGETABLE PEARS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Soak the dry toast/stale bread in water; squeeze out and set to the side.
• Cut vegetables in half lengthwise; remove seed in center.
• Boil in water until tender.
• Scoop out and and mash or chop; reserve the shell for stuffing.
• Saute the onions, garlic until translucent; add the ground pork and cook to a light brown.
• Add 1 cup of water and cook slowly.
• Add the drained and mashed or cut up vegetable and the toast/bread to the sausage mixture.
• Mix well, season to taste with salt and pepper and fill reserved shells.
• Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter.
• Bake until crumbs brown, approximately 30 minutes.

STUFFED CHAYOTE AKA MIRLITON, CHOKO OR VEGETABLE PEAR

Steps:

• Wash chayotes, cut and half and scoop out, using a spoon or potato ball cutter; reserve pulp.
• Mix next five ingredients together and fill cavities loosely.
• Saute pulp in olive oil until golden and add tomatoes.
• Place stuffed chayotes ina greased pan, pour sauteed mixture over them and enough hot water to cover.
• Simmer, covered, for 90 minutes or bake in a slow oven (325F).
• Serve hot with sauce.

MIRLITON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add mirliton, and boil until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. Cut in half, remove seeds, and cut into cubes.
• When the mirliton are almost done, bring another pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp, and cook for about 5 minutes, until pink. Drain shrimp, reserving the water for later. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the shrimp, ham, and cubed mirliton. Beat the egg in a small dish with a tablespoon of the water from the shrimp; pour into the baking dish. Mix in the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper until evenly blended. If it seems a little dry, add a little more water from the shrimp. You have the choice to freeze, refrigerate, or bake at this point. Sprinkle some more breadcrumbs on top if desired.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown on top.

ROASTED CHAYOTES WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
• Wearing protective gloves, halve chayotes lengthwise and discard seeds. Peel, then cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges. Toss with oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Divide between 2 large 4-sided sheet pans.
• Roast 30 minutes. Divide garlic between pans, then continue to roast, turning occasionally, until chayotes are golden brown on edges, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt.