I'm really glad this came out as tasty as it did, 'cause it was a pain in the butt to make. I mean, it wasn't difficult, but it dirtied practically every bowl in the kitchen and the soaked bulgur was a awful to deal with. Next time I'll experiment with using cheesecloth instead of paper towels when draining the bulgur. That won't solve everything, but I think it'll be an improvement over the paper towels.

Baked Squash Kibbeh

Slightly adapted from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 900g butternut squash, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. coriander, ground
• 1/4 tsp. five spice powder
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. mint, chopped
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 c. fine bulgur
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 c. crumbled feta

Directions

1. Place squash in covered bowl and microwave for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cook onion in 1 Tbsp. olive oil until softened and beginning to brown.
3. Add garlic, coriander, and five spice and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
4. Mash squash and add onion mix, cilantro, mint, salt, and pepper.
5. Place bulgur in a bowl and cover with at least an inch of cold water. Let stand for 10 minutes.
6. Drain bulgur through a fine mesh strainer. Wrap in paper towels and squeeze out as much water as possible.
7. Stir bulgur and flour into squash mixture.
8. Press mixture into a greased 9" springform pan and score into eighths.
9. Brush with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes.
10. Sprinkle with pine nuts and feta and bake for another 10 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge and removing ring from pan.
12. Slice along score lines and serve.