Spicy fall stew in a pumpkin bowl

Hello foodies, are you surprised to see a post from me? Well, I don't blame you, I've been enjoying the summer a little too much. I've been really good at going out for dinner, and really terrible about writing about it. But now that its fall, I'm reinspired. After all, isn't fall -- now that we're forced inside, but not yet too depressed by blah weather to be motivated -- the time to commit to that hobby or activity you always told yourself you would?


Well, without further ado, I bring you the recipe that made me just have to start blogging again ... because its served in a pumpkin.... you can eat out of a pumpkin ... a pumpkin. I love anything pumpkin and this was the perfect intro to fall meal. It would be amazing for Thanksgiving (especially for those with dietary restrictions as it is vegan and gluten-free. Plus you get all these amazing pumpkin seeds to snack on while waiting for it to cook!

You will need (for four people):

4 small pumpkins
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 chili pepper, minced
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 can diced tomatoes, smashed
1/2 cup water
1 red pepper, diced
1 can chickpeas or hominy (optional)
1 bunch kale, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 batch pumpkin seeds, see recipe below

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut lid on pumpkin around stem and scoop out flesh, separate seeds into another bowl. Put pumpkins into oven and roast about one hour.

In large soup pot, pour in oil and add onion and garlic, cook until soft about 3-4 minutes.
Add spices, chili pepper, squash. Let cook about five minutes.

Add tomatoes, water, red pepper, chickpeas or hominy. Let simmer on medium heat about 30 minutes. Add kale and turn down to low and simmer about 15 minutes more.

                                                           It will look something like this:

Cook quinoa while you wait.

Take pumpkins out when flesh soft. Line bottom of each pumpkin with a layer of quinoa. Pour stew on top until full. Garnish with pumpkin seeds (I told you the recipe is below).

For creative pumpkin seeds:
Instead of just seasoning with salt, try some interesting spice combos. Here are the combos we made for some inspiration.

Curry pumpkin seeds:
Sprinkle liberally with
curry powder
tumeric
cumin
garlic salt

Asian influence seeds
Sprinkle liberally with
Asian five-spice powder
Saffron
salt

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overbake.

Enjoy!