Afghan Pumpkin

I have a friend who live is a large city where ethic foods are more commonly found. Often she stops by an Afghan place that makes the most delicious pumpkin. When I think of pumpkin, I think of halloween carving and pies at Thanksgiving. It’s been an eye-opening experience to try pumpkin in any form. I will admit, I cheated in this recipe and used butternut squash as it was what I had on hand. The next time I make it, I’ll turn up the heat just a bit by adding a few more jalapeños.

Afghan Pumpkin

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or avocado

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

• 1 minced fresh chili, like jalapeño

• 8 cups 1-inch cubes pumpkin flesh or butternut squash

• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock, plus more as needed

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2-14 1/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes, non-GMO

• ¼ teaspoon coriander

• 1 cup yogurt, preferably whole-milk

• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. In a large skillet warm oil on medium heat. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.

2. Add turmeric, ginger, and chili pepper. Stir to combine.

3. Add pumpkin, vegetable stock, and ground pepper. Continue to cook until pumpkin is soft.

4. Add tomatoes, coriander stirring to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

5. Add yogurt and chopped mint.

6. Serve as a side or over rice.

Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup

Lentils are a staple in my house. As a vegetarian, lentils provide me with a good source of protein and fiber that my body needs. This is soup season, and I’m loving it. Warm and nourishing, soups can be a side or the main event. This recipe calls for butternut squash, which is loaded with nutrients, as well as, fresh spinach that added at the end. Feel free to leave it a little chunky or blend it until it’s to the consistency you wish.

Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced or diced

• 1 medium (2 pound) butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 5-6 cups diced)

• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk

• 3 cups organic low sodium vegetarian broth

• 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and sorted

• 2 tablespoons all natural creamy peanut butter

• ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3 cups organic spinach

• Organic Greek yogurt (optional)

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and onion. Sauté until onion is soft and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.

2. Add carrot, butternut squash and spices. Stir to combine.

3. Add coconut milk and broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add lentils and continue cooking for 15—20 minutes or until lentils are done.

5. Add peanut butter and spinach. Stir to combine and continue cooking until spinach has wilted.

6. Serve in individual bowls and top with organic Greek yogurt.

Rich Butternut Squash Soup

Nothing says fall like butternut squash. The best part of these tasty vegetables is how hardy they are. I remember a few years ago growing butternut squash in my little garden. I harvested at least two dozen and were able to enjoy them over the winter months. This particular squash is a great source of Vitamin A, plus Vitamins C & E along with essential minerals. Vitamin A is involved in immune function, vision, reproduction, and cellular communication. Vitamin A also supports cell growth, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.

This recipe takes a little longer than most of the ones on this site due to roasting the vegetables, but the flavor is worth the wait. The richness of the added coconut milk will have you and your family going back for more.

Rich Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds whole butternut squash halved lengthwise and seeds removed

• 2 carrots peeled and diced

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper to taste

• 1 large onion cut into wedges

• 6 cloves garlic minced or grated

• 1 TBSP sliced fresh ginger

• 2 TBSP avocado oil

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 2-3 cups vegetable broth, as needed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place squash on pan cut-side up along with carrots, onion, garlic, and ginger. Add oil, salt and pepper, tossing vegetables to coat. THEN flip squash over cut side down.

3. Roast in the oven until squash is tender and fork goes through easily, about 50 minutes.

4. Allow to cool slightly.

5. Scoop squash out into a blender along with the remaining roasted vegetables.

6. Add coconut milk and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add additional broth until desired level of thickness is achieved.

Butternut Squash Risotto

It was a chilly November day at the farmer’s market. For sale were beautiful leeks that I simply could not resist, so I got three. There was also fresh garlic and butternut squash. With Thanksgiving around the corner, this recipe could be an option to replace the dressing. Dressing, while is traditional, does not provide the nutrients this dish serves up. The sage, in particular, spurs a memory of Thanksgiving past. As stated last week, shiitake mushrooms have long been reverted in China as medicine. So, I decided to add them into this dish. It gives it a nice texture and flavor along with support for the immune system.

Butternut Squash Risotto 

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and
  cubed (about 3 cups)

• 3 tsp grape seed oil (separated)

• 5 cups water

• 1 large leek, white part only, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 ½ cups brown rice

• 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms

• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

• 2 TBSP butter

• 1¼ tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 1 to 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475˚F. In a large bowl, toss cubed squash in 1 tsp grape seed oil. Place squash on jellyroll pan. Roast squash until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Keep warm.

2. Heat water in a large pot on low, keeping at a simmer throughout the cooking process.

3. In a heavy-bottom pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushroom and sauté until tender. Set aside.

4. Place remaining oil in pot and add leek and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.

5. Add rice and stir to combine. Gradually add water ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed and risotto is soft, about 30 minutes.

6. Using a potato masher, mash the butternut squash on the jelly roll pan.

7. When the risotto is soft, stir in squash, mushrooms, cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and sage.

Late Summer Curry

There are many things I enjoy about fall, and one of those is butternut squash. It’s amazing to me that some vegetables stay fresh so long after harvest. Butternut squash is one of those and is versatile, delicious and nutritious. Loaded with Vitamin A, butternut squash lends 457% of the recommended daily allowance, and is a good source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium. These squash are easy to grow in your own garden. In this recipe, I used the abundance of zucchini and yellow squash that was given to me by a friend who grew them locally. With that, I purchased some green beans from the farmer’s market and put together this curry. It’s easy enough to make on a work night. Pair it with rice or quinoa and a side salad.

Weather today is mostly sunny and warm, but it feels like fall

Listening to 80's music

Sipping on Yogi Positive Energy Tea

Late Summer Curry

Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion coarsely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp ginger powder

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 4 cups diced butternut squash (about 1-inch cubes)

• 2 small zucchinis, diced

• 2 small yellow squash, diced

• 2 cups cauliflower, chopped into 1-inch pieces

• 2 cups fresh green beans, ends snipped and snapped in 2-inch pieces

• 2 cups vegetable broth or water

• 4 TBSP curry paste

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Add a small amount of water to a large pot.  Heat on medium and add onion and garlic.  Sauté until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric, stirring until combined.

2.  Add butternut squash, zucchini, yellow squash, cauliflower, and green beans, stirring after each addition to combine.  Add vegetable broth or water, cover and cook for about 12-15 minutes.

3.  Add curry paste and coconut milk, stirring to combine.

4.  Continue cooking until vegetables are tender and heated through.

5.  Serve with quinoa, rice, lentils, farro, or any other grain.

Faster Cooker

When I think of a pressure cooker, my memory goes to visions of my mother cooking green beans just picked from the garden, and the sound of the familiar rattle and hiss of steam generated from a shiny pot that seemed to be on the verge of explosion.  The sounds of the rat-a-tat-tat and the hiss of steam were constant for a period of time.  Then mom announced that supper was almost ready.  In no time at all, my family was at the dinner table enjoying delicious food.

So how does a pressure cooker work?  As cooks, we can sauté, brown, boil, etc., but a pressure cooker is a closed box.  No tasting, watching, or adjusting.  This is a sealed pot with a valve that controls the steam pressure inside.  The liquid inside forms steam as the pot heats up, which raises the pressure inside.  This high pressure has two major effects.  First it raises the boiling point of the water in the pot.  The boiling point is 212 degrees F, and that’s the limit.  With pressure, the boiling point can reach up to 250 degrees F, enabling the food to cook much faster.  Second, as the pressure increases, the liquid is forced into the food, making the contents more moist and tender creating complex flavors and textures.  It is important to remember that this pot is under pressure, and releasing the pressure is gradual.  Do not try to open the top if under pressure as it can cause harm.

There are virtually no limits to what can be cooked in a pressure cooker.  Rice will cook in just a few minutes while beans and chickpeas is just under an hour.  Mostly it’s used to cook beans, stews, and vegetables.  A recipe book is included with a pressure cooker to help with cooking times of foods.  Today there are electric pressure cookers that seem “safer” than the traditional stove top models.  For a working family, a pressure cooker can save time in the kitchen when everyone is hungry.  It provides a means to prepare nutritious, whole foods that our bodies need. 

Consider the pressure cooker.  It’s highly efficient and uses far less energy that many other appliances.  Many web sites contain recipes and information about using a pressure cooker for meals.  Really, it should be called a fast cooker.

Cream of Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

• 4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 sprig of Sage
• 1 large Onion, roughly chopped
• ½" (2 cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon, nutmeg
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup of toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. In the pressure cooker, with the top off, over medium heat soften onions with the sage, salt and pepper. 
2. When the onions are soft, scoot onions aside and tumble in enough squash cubes to cover the base of the pressure cooker, let brown for about 10 minutes stirring infrequently.
3. Add the rest of the squash along with the ginger, nutmeg, and stock.
4. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. 
5. Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 15 minutes at high pressure. 
6. Stovetop pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 10 minutes pressure cooking time.
7. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure.
8. Fish out the woody sage stem and discard.
9. With a stick immersion blender puree' the contents of the pressure cooker and serve!
10. Garnish with salty, toasted pumpkin seeds.

Health-bite: When under pressure, food cooks faster

Recipe Source: hippressurecooking.com