Lamb, Mushroom, & Onion Stuffed Pumpkin

The Dubai farmers market didn't compare to SOWA in Boston, but it was still awesome to check out. The quality of the local produce was pretty good considering the climate. We picked up some onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, apples, pumpkins, broccoli, and aloe vera. I decided to make a stuffed pumpkin recipe with ground lamb. Apparently the local food movement in Dubai is really growing, and they have 2 mini markets and 1 pretty large one every week. The main company is called RipeME, and everything is organic and grown around the UAE. Unfortunately the people running the market were not the farmers, so they weren't able to answer all of my questions. That being said, I was thrilled to check it out and felt right at home strolling through the market on the other side of the world. 

On a somewhat unrelated note, I am pleased to say that I have somehow avoided jetlag. My first day back I did try to shut off the sink by turning the light off (FYI - that does not actually work), but other than that my mind has been clear and my sleep has been great. I forced myself to stay up as late as possible the first night and then made sure to work out, eat clean, and hydrate like crazy. Not too shabby after a 24 hour journey back home! 

Lamb, Mushroom, & Onion Stuffed Pumpkin: Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 50-55 min

Ingredients:
- 2 small pumpkins
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1 lb. mushrooms, chopped
- 4 small onions, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1-2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- Sea salt & pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Slice pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds, and lie flat (cut-side down) on a cookie sheet
3. Bake for 30 minutes
4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat
5. Add garlic and onions and cook until soft (5-10 minutes)
6. Add mushrooms and cook another 5-10 minutes
7. Add ground lamb, and cook until pink/red is gone (about 10 minutes)
8. After the pumpkins cook for 30 minutes, flip them over (cut-side up), and cook for another 10-15 minutes until lightly browned
9. Scoop the lamb mixture into the pumpkins and bake for another 10 minutes