Bhutanese Red Rice Stew with Black-Eyed Peas and Pumpkin

The combination of rice, beans and pumpkin is the basis for traditional meals in many Caribbean cultures. This recipe is my own take on the classic trio, complemented by warming spices that are perfect for staying balanced during fall.

Prep time: 20m | Cook time: 40m | Total time: 1h | Serves 5

Ingredients:

1 c. dried black-eyed peas, soaked in water overnight
2 t. olive or coconut oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1" piece of ginger, grated or finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
4 c. red kuri pumpkin or kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), chopped into 3/4" cubes*
1-1/2 c. Bhutanese red rice
1/2 t. ground clove
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt

Drain black-eyed peas, and place them in a small saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on a low flame for about 20 minutes, until peas are tender but not fully cooked. Drain the peas, saving the cooking liquid in a bowl.

In a large Dutch oven, or other larger casserole-type pot, heat oil over medium heat and add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the rice and cook for one minute, stirring well. Then, add the reserved cooking liquid, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, then take heat down to low, add the pumpkin and cooked black-eyed peas, and cover.

Cook for 25 minutes, then check to see if the rice is done. Feel free to add a bit of water or veggie broth if rice is undercooked and pot is dry. Cook longer until rice is done, if needed.
Serve with sauteed or steamed greens for a complete meal.

Notes:

If you use organic pumpkin, skin can be left on.

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

For many of my younger years, I always used canned pumpkin in my fall desserts. It’s one of the better canned products you can buy (i.e., most brands have nothing added) and organic varieties readily abound, but it turns out much of it is not purely pumpkin (many manufacturers add butternut squash and other winter squash into their products).

After the first time I pureed a pumpkin from scratch, I swore I would never use a can again…and I haven’t since! Not only is the process relatively easy, you get the added bonus of pumpkin seeds to roast and snack on!

Peruse the Internet and you’ll find many ways to prepare pumpkins for pureeing. Some people boil the pumpkin, but I swear by roasting. I prefer the flavor and consistency of roasted pumpkin puree, and there’s less knifework involved than if you butcher up a pumpkin in pieces that will fit into a pot. Be sure that the pumpkin you use are good edible varieties (i.e., not jack o’lantern pumpkins) and often I find that bigger is not better when it comes to pumpkins. I suggest getting two smaller pumpkins versus one large gourd. And be sure to select pumpkins that sit stably (i.e., aren’t tilted or misshapen) to assist in cutting.

Here’s my favorite method for preparing puree:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Set pumpkin on a cutting surface. Use a sharp knife to make cuts around the stem of the pumpkin, then use your fingers to pop the stem out.

Cut the pumpkin in half (through the stem end). If you’ve selected a relatively flat-bottomed, stable pumpkin, this will be a breeze.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and excess pulp. Drag the surface of the spoon along the pulpy regions of the inner pumpkin firmly to remove stubborn stringy pulp. Save the seeds to roast later.

Place pumpkin halves face down on parchment lined baking trays. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pumpkin can easily be pierced with a fork in the thickest regions.

Take the trays out of the oven, and slip the pumpkin halves onto their backs (i.e., cut side up) to let out excess heat and steam that’s built up during baking. Let the pumpkin cool for about an hour.

When pumpkin is cool, use a spoon to scrape the flesh away from the skin. Place flesh in a food processor, and discard skin.

Process pumpkin until it is well homogenized. This step takes a little patience, and likely will involve stopping the machine and scraping the food processor bowl down from time to time. Resists the urge to add water to speed up the process. I’ve never found this to be necessary, and you’ll end up needing to drain out excess water later on.

Once the puree is finished, you can assess how watery it is. Some pumpkins are naturally less dry than others. It’s fine to use puree with a bit of moisture in it, but ifyour pumpkin is super watery, you’ll want to take care of it. To remove any excess water, place puree in a fine mesh sieve and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Place something beneath it to catch the orange water that will trickle out. (I like to then use this in a smoothie.)

Use the finished puree in any recipes that call for either canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree. It will store about a week in the refrigerator, so it can be made in advance of your pies and other creations. I’ve heard it freezes well for up to a couple months, but it’s never lasted long enough in my kitchen to try this out.

Enjoy! And please take a second to let me know in the comments below how you’re using your pureed pumpkin!

White Root Veggie Soup with Crispy Shallots & Brussels Sprouts

A hearty soup perfect for cool autumn evenings.

Prep time: 15m | Cook time: 45m | Total time: 1h | Serves 6

Ingredients:

Soup:
2 T. coconut oil
1 medium white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichoke), peeled and chopped
7 c. water or vegetable broth
Salt to taste

Topping:
1 T. ghee (or coconut oil)
2 shallots, finely diced
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, shredded*

Heat coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, and add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add potatoes, parsnips, sunchokes and water/broth, and bring heat to high and cook until soup boils. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 25-35 minutes, until vegetables can be pierced easily with a fork. While soup cooks, heat ghee in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high flame, add shallots and brussels sprouts, and cook (stirring often) for 6-8 minutes, until shallots are slightly crispy. Turn off heat and set the skillet aside.

Use an immersion blender to puree soup (or carefully transfer to a blender and puree in batches, returning finished soup to original pot). Add salt to taste. Keep warm over a low flame until ready to serve.

Ladle each serving into a bowl, and top with a spoonful of shallots and brussels sprouts.

Notes:

To shred brussels sprouts: Cut each sprout lengthwise in half (through the stem). Then slice thinly starting at end opposite stem, working your way to the stem. Discard stems.

Coconut Cardamom Date Balls

These easy, nourishing snacks are great to keep on hand for when a sugar craving attacks. Dates instantly help regulate blood sugar levels, and cardamom suppresses ongoing cravings.

Prep time: 20m | Total time: 20m

Ingredients:

1 lb. (approx 2.5 c.) medjool dates, or other moist date variety
1/4 c. brown sesame seeds
1/2 c. dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 t. ground cardamom

Remove pits from dates, and place them in food processor bowl.

Heat a dry skillet over medium flame, and add sesame seeds once hot. Cook for two minutes, stirring often until seeds are lightly toasted and aromatic. Add toasted sesame seeds, 1/4 c. of coconut flakes and cardamom in with the dates. Run food processor until ingredients are well mixed*, and one solid ball of date dough has formed.

Place remaining coconut on a small plate. Take 1 T. of dough and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Roll each ball in coconut flakes until lightly coated, then place on serving plate. Repeat with remaining dough.

Serve immediately, or store in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator.

Notes:

Food processor may "jump" a bit when processing the dates, so be sure it's not near the edge of the countertop while running.