Our Veggie Kitchen

I've been on a dead since the year began, it seems. Lately, I either come home with a stack of work, or I collapse on the couch and try to recharge. My creativity has taken a turn toward comfort food, and I've been obsessed with soup; the ultimate too busy for a meal, ladle in front of the TV, or just fight off a winter chill comfort food.

This soup started off as a throw-things-into-a-pot batch, but the aroma of the roasting pumpkin told me that I needed write it down. It ended up being a blending of flavor that was slightly warm, had just a hint of lime and a beautiful color that complemented its pumkiny goodness.



Southwest Roasted Pumpkin Soup
3 tbs vegetable oil
6 cups diced pumpkin (or winter squash)
1 medium onion ,chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 dried chipotle pepper, seeded & torn
4 cups water
15 oz can white kidney beans
4 oz jar pimentos
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lime, juiced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a glass casserole, toss together the pumpkin, onion, garlic and chipotle pepper with the vegetable oil. Bake uncovered until the pumpkin is tender, about half an hour. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes.

Combine with the remaining ingredients (except the lime) and blend, in batches, until completely smooth. I blend in batches of 2-3 cups. Just make sure you don't overload your blender. Pour the blended soup into a stock pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in the lime juice and remove from heat.

5 Servings: 300 cal (10g fat, 49g carbs, 10g protein)

Mussaman curry evolved with the emigration of Indian Muslims into Thailand. So it began with infusion of a North Indian pallet with Thai ingredients and technique. It is usually associated with beef and potato curries and its especially good with root vegetables.

For this soup, I brought the flavors closer to India by using amchur (dried green mango) instead of lemongrass and lentils instead of beef. Duh! The flavors blended so nicely with elements of sweet, bitter, hot and creamy. And it is neither Indian nor Thai.



Mussaman Lentil Pumpkin Soup
1 tbs vegetable oil
Whole Spices (see below)
1 cup shallots, chopped
1 tbs galangal, chopped (you could use ginger)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tbs amchur (dried green mango powder) or 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
1 small pumpkin, peeled and cubed (about 5 cups)
2 quarts water
4 cups potatoes, cut into large cubes
6 carrots, diced
1 cup lentils
1 bunch spinach, stems removed, chopped (or 1 package frozen & drained)
11 oz coconut milk (2 small cans)
1/4 cup golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)

Whole Spices:
3 dried hot chili peppers (I used arbol), seeds removed
1 tbs coriander seed
1/2 tbs cumin seed
4 cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 tsp peppercorns

Heat oil in a cooking pot over medium heat. Add the whole spices and saute for a few seconds, until the cumin begins to pop. Stir in the shallots, galangal and garlic along with the turmeric and amchoor (or lemongrass if using) and saute until soft. Add the pumpkin and water, bring to a boil and simmer until soft. In batches of about 2 cups each, thoroughly blend. If you don't blend in small batches, it will be difficult completely blend the whole spices.

Return the blended mixture to the cooking pot and add potatoes, carrots and lentils. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir in the spinach and simmer another 10-15 minutes, until the potato, carrot and lentils are tender. Stir in the coconut milk and golden mountain sauce and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and serve.

6 Servings: 448 cal (15g fat, 68g carbs, 16g protein)

I've still got some pumpkin kicking around from November. I'm hell bent on using all of it,so I've been looking for some creative uses. I made some Southwest Pumpkin soup that I'll post next week. It was a perfect winter treat. Tomorrow, I'll make some Massaman Pumpkin Soup, that I'll post if it's any good. But today, I've got one of the better pizzas I've made: pumpkin, spinach and mushroom pizza!

I've been reading up on bread and playing with my new mixer and I created some of the best crust I've ever made. I used a Cooks Illustrated recipe that was similar to this with no sugar and a cup more flour. I kneaded it until it was nice and pliable, gave it a good first rise, then spread the dough and plopped it on a heated pizza stone. The dough rose quickly from the heat of the stone. It was neat.

Bread Note: I am a novice bread-maker at best. I am relating my experience and I explore an art that I am slowly learning. Please don't mistake this for direction. I might be right, I might be wrong, but it's fun learning.

Update: After a few trials and a lot of reading, I've come up with a pizza dough recipe that I'm very pleased with. Here it is.



Pumpkin Pizza

Pizza Dough for 1 12" pizza
1 1/2 cups Daiya Italian Style or other vegan cheese
8 oz pizza sauce (1/2 can)
1 bunch spinach, washed & stems removed
(or 1 package frozen spinach, thawed)
1/2 lb mushrooms, wash and sliced
1 small pie pumpkin, peeled & seeded (about 5 cups)
3 tbs maple syrup
1/4 tsp rubbed sage

Chop the spinach add to a saute pan with a little water until wilted. Press the spinach between two plates to remove any excess water. Saute the mushrooms in a little oil or steam with a little water and drain. Set both aside or refrigerate until needed.

For the pumpkin, chop into quarters and, using a vegetable peeler, peel into ribbons. This creates a texture that is perfect for pizza. It's not chunky and every bit will have pumpkin melting in your mouth. Add the pumpkin to the saute pan with a cup of water. Cover and simmer for a few minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Drain, stir in the syrup and sage and set aside.

When the pizza dough is rolled and ready, spread the pizza sauce, then the Daiya. Then spread the pumpkin evenly over the pizza. Add the spinach and mushrooms in a pleasing pattern. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 10 minute, until the crust is brown.

I've been making stuffing-in-a-pumpkin every year since I became vegetarian. I make it at least once around Halloween then, usually, it ends up on the Thanksgiving table. It's perfect for this time of year, with the peak of the chantrelle harvest in Oregon autumn's abundance of pumpkins. This year, I was able to get chantrelle mushrooms for $8 per pound. What a steal.



Wild Mushroom Stuffing Baked in Pumpkins
4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
2 medium leeks, halved & sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
8 oz chantrelle msuhrooms, washed & sliced
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, washed & sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 oz Pumpkin Ale
16 oz dried bread cubes

Pumpkins:
6 small pie pumpkins
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the pumpkins, cut the tops off of each pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Rinse and pat dry, inside and out. Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper (or a few turns of a peppermill). Rub your fingers in the oil, then coat the inside of each pumpkin. Set pumpkins aside.

For the stuffing, melt the margarine over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add the leeks, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their moisture. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, sage, spinach and parsley. Saute until the spinach has wilted. Add the stuffing cubes and poor the ale over the cubes. Toss the stuffing until it is combined thoroughly and the cubes have absorbed all the moisture.

Stuff each pumpkin with the stuffing, pressing down with a spoon to ensure that the pumpkins are well packed. Bake the pumpkins in a preheated oven at 350 for at least an hour, more likely 15 or 20 minutes more.

Alternately, add the stuffing to a 9 x 13 greased casserole. Press the stuffing firmly and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.

6 Servigs: 533 cal (13g fat, 88g carbs, 17g protein)

Here in Western Oregon, there is a very narrow window when pumpkins and lavender blossoms are still available. This year, we started getting pumpkins last week. I picked my lavender a couple days ago and they probably be gone by next week. So this soup is also an autumn metaphor, with the waning of summer herbs and the arrival of fall's bounty.



Provencal Pumpkin Soup
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups pumpkin, cubed (1 small pumpkin)
1 cup carrots, chopped (2-3 carrots)
2 cups cauliflower (1/2 head)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 quart water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp marjoram, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp tarragon, chopped
1/2 tsp lavender, chopped

Note: Herbs may be replaced with 2 tsp dried Herb de Provence

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan set to medium high. Saute the onions until the onions have caramelized. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic. Add the pumpkin, carrots and cauliflower. Boil the wine for a couple minutes, then add the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in in the herbs, salt, turmeric and lemon juice. In batches, thoroughly blend the soup. Return to the pan, bring back to a simmer and remove from heat.

Another Note: I added turmeric for color, as the herbs lent a green tint. Next time, I will add half an orange or red bell pepper and eliminate the turmeric. The sweet pepper would be a welcome flavor and contribute to an oranger color.

4 Servings: 165 cal (7g fat, 20g carbs, 3g protein)

It's fitting that my last post this month is a sauce. Because, over the last year, some of my favorite creations have been sauces and gravies. I have always been a huge fan of sauce. In fact, I once lobbied the USDA to include gravy as a food group. Needless to say, it didn't work, but I still cherish a virtuous sauce above all else (I'm only kinda kidding).

Here are a few of my favorites from the previous year:
Yummy Sauce - One of my favorites. It's amazing on beans & rice and I use it liberally on vegetables, potatoes or as a salad dressing. When I make this, I can't keep it in the fridge.
Almond Mushroom Gravy - mushroom gravy thickened with almonds? Yep. And its uber thick and great on seitan cutlets, tofu, or whatever. Drink it if you like.
Marsala Sauce - I used to love Chicken Marsala, but you don't need chicken to make this a heavenly dish. I made it here with pan fried tofu.
Cilantro Chutney - A yogurt based sauce sauce with plenty of cilantro and mint. This is surprisingly versatile and I'd put it on anything Hispanic, Southwest or Indian and plenty of other things too. It's fun to experiment.

Pepita Mojo (below) - This idea came to me from one of my friends, Dani. She made this mojo sauce with lots of cilanto, citrus, hot chillies and olive oil. It tasted like spicy candy and I've made it a few times since. I made several attempts to thicken it and to cut back on the calories a bit. I finally landed on ground pumpkin seed and it was smashing (literally). The pumpkin seeds give it a great toasted flavor, thickens the sauce and tones back on the heat. Its delicious.



Pepita Mojo
6 cloves garlic
3 serrano peppers, halved and seeded
3/4 cups pumpkin seeds
1 tsp cumin seed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1/2 tsp salt

Arrange the garlic, peppers and pumpkin seeds, cumin on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 for about 10 minutes. Stir the mixture around after about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for another 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin and cumin seeds to a spice or coffee grinder (in batches if necessary) and blend. Add to a blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a container and serve or refrigerate. Makes about a cup.

8 Servings: 39 cal (1g fat, 7g carbs, 2g protein)

As always, I made way too much food for Thanksgiving. We had mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce and Italian 'Sausage' Stuffing and olives and rolls and smothered cabbage and Seitan Turkey for sandwiches and more stuffing.

The centerpiece of the meal was Pumpkins with wild mushroom stuffing. I made these last year and they were such a hit, that they're already tradition. I pick mushrooms that will give a variety of texture and, this year, I used 8 oz chantrelles and 4 oz shitakes. It didn't seem like as many mushrooms as last year. That may be because shitake mushrooms reduce down so much. You can always just add more. I'm not sure its possible to have too many mushrooms. Also, try to find the smallest pie pumpkins you can. Mine were small enough, that I got 5 pumpkins this year.



Leftovers:
This year, I had leftovers (a Thanksgiving MUST!) and a small pumpkin that I baked separately. I scooped out the squash flesh and the stuffing and tossed it together. The resulting pumpkin stuffing, stored more easily in the fridge and still tastes wonderful.



Pumpkins with Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Pumpkins:
4 small pie pumpkins (5 if they're real small)
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Stuffing:
12 oz stuffing cubes
1 cup pumpkin ale
4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
2 leeks, halved, rinsed and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cremini or button mushrooms
12 oz chantrelle, morrel, shitake or other mushrooms
1/2 tsp dry rubbed sage
1/2 tsp thyme, dry
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

For the pumpkins, cut the tops off of each pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Rinse and pat dry, inside and out. Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper (or a few turns of a peppermill). Rub your fingers in the oil, then coat the inside of each pumpkin. Set pumpkins aside.

For the stuffing, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add the leeks, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their moisture. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, sage and parsley. Add the stuffing cubes and poor the ale over the cubes. Toss the stuffing until it is combined thoroughly and the cubes have absorbed all the moisture.

Stuff each pumpkin with the stuffing, pressing down with a spoon to ensure that the pumpkins are well packed. Bake the pumpkins in a preheated oven at 350 for at least an hour, more likely 15 or 20 minutes more.

4 Servings: 611 cal (18g fat, 95g carbs, 18 protein)