The Second Chayote Experiment

A while back I got around to trying the chayote squash in a savory dish. The result was rather tasty, if I say so myself, but the other taste testers also enjoyed it. This was a far superior preparation of this vegetable compared to the dessert that I made with it. I have to say, the texture of this squash, when cooked, is very similar to cooked cucumber. Perhaps most of you haven't had cooked cucumber, but I have. The people in the area of China where I lived used cucumber in a variety of cooked dishes. At first I thought it was strange, but came to really enjoy it.

Back to the stuffed chayote. My very handy "Field Guide to Produce" listed both chorizo, seafood, and lime as good mates for the chayote. I took this and ran with it. (Oh, and please pardon the sketchy measurements. I will remedy the most offensive ones once back home.)

4 chayote squash, halved and seeded
1 tbsp oil
1/2 green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 of a tube of chorizo (Mexican) [see what I meant by sketchy measurements?]
1 1/2 c chopped, raw shrimp
adobo con pimienta, to taste
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the chayote squash, face down, in a glass baking dish until tender (1/2 to 1 hour).
Remove the chayote from the oven, turn over and allow to cool while preparing stuffing.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook one minute.
Add the chorizo and cook until firm.
Add the shrimp and cook.
When the shrimp is mostly done cooking, sprinkle on the adobo (I think I did two passes over the pan), cumin, oregano, and cilantro.
When shrimp is fully cooked, use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the chayote and add that to the pan. Make sure to leave enough flesh inside the chayote, since the skin is thin and will not hold its own shape.
Add the lime juice to the pan, stir thoroughly.
Stuff the squash with the stuffing and place back in the glass pan.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake until heated through (15 minutes to 1/2 hour).

I served these with homemade tortillas. Just a note, the skin of the chayote is tender enough to eat. No waste! How great is that?