Voting Party 2008!

Dan and I had Matt, Gayle, Abbie, and Garret over for dinner last night AS WELL AS a voting party. We discussed the measures in our pamphlets, played SORRY, watched the world series' last game, and pigged out!

I proudly made 2 spicy fall stews baked in kabocha squash,avocado-cucumber salsa, and buttermilk biscuits. I forgot the cheese, which made it vegan, and the buttermilk biscuits were totally store-bought and popped in the oven ten minutes before the squash finished. (Trader Joe's! Holla!) I received a standing ovation and 5 stars for my hard work, and I have to share this recipe because it IS SO GOOD. ENJOY!

Vegetarian Times doesn't have it copied from the magazine onto the web site yet (it's from the October issue), so I will painstakingly write the whole thing down for you. Because it IS SO GOOD. Note: I doubled the recipe to accommodate 2 tall, hungry, manly men.

Spicy Fall Stew Baked in a Pumpkin
Serves 6 :: Gluten-Free

If you can't find a large pumpkin, bake the stew in two small pumpkins or squash.

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered
1 15 oz. can hominy, rinsed and drained
3/4 tsp. salt
1 3-4 lb. pumpkin or squash -Sugar Pie, Cheese, Red Kuri, Kabocha, or Buttercup-
2 oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese (or not!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 7 minutes or until softened. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and cook 3 minutes more, or until spices darken.

2. Add tomatillos, hominy, 1/2 cup water, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, 10 to 12 minutes, or until tomatillos are softened. Uncover, and cook 5 minutes more to thicken stew, if neccesary.

3. Meanwhile, cut top of pumpkin around stem to make lid. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and strings. Rub inside with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Sprinkle cheese in bottom of pumpkin.

4. Fill pumpkin with stew, then top with pumpkin lid. Place on baking sheet (parchment paper suggested but I didn't use it...) and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until pumpkin flesh is fork-tender. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

5. Scoop stew, including pumpkin, into bowls and serve hot, topped with salsa.

Per serving 221 cal; 6 g prot; 9 g total fat; 31 g carb; 10 mg chol; 699 mg sod; 6 g fiber, 10 g sugars.


My Avocado-Cucumber Salsa (Magazine recipe calls for poblano chiles but I forgot to get them! And again, I doubled everything. Who uses only 1 clove of garlic, anyway?)
Makes 1 1/2 cups :: Vegan, Gluten-Free

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small dice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbs. lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalepeo chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 ripe avocado, diced