Vegan Stuffed Pumpkin

Eight years ago (to the day 😯 I'm now realizing after looking back at my blog), I stuffed my first pumpkin. It was based on this recipe -- though even then I didn't follow it exactly. Today, I stuffed another one. Wanting to (1) use up things in the fridge and (2) make it Vegan, I completely winged it as to the fillings. Here's what I did:

In a pan I sauteed the following (all minced) items in oil with some salt and pepper:

• 1 small onion
• 1 stalk of celery
• several cloves of garlic

Once that was sweated down, I added 4 or 5 chopped dates and a large handful of chopped pecans -- then cooked it all a little more.

While this was all happening, I chopped up the celery leaves, some fresh parsley, fresh dill, fresh mint, and fresh rosemary -- and threw it all into a bowl with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

The bread (sourdough) that I was using wasn't stale enough for my liking, so I cut it into cubes and baked it until it was dried and starting to brown around the edges. (There were, if I am remembering correctly, 5 small slices of bread -- but of course you can use more or less as you prefer.) After cooling for a few minutes, it too went into the bowl.

While the bread was baking, I grabbed a lemon that had been partially peeled for some prior purpose, and squeezed about half its juice into the bowl -- plus added a handful of sunflower seeds.

Then I decided that maybe a little extra binding might be needed, so I made a chia egg (1 Tbsp. chia seeds + 3 Tbsp. water, left to sit for about 5 minutes) and put that in as well. This is how it looked once I thoroughly mixed everything together:

Finally, I stuffed it into a cleaned-out pumpkin (I really packed it in there to make it all fit), popped the lid back on, and baked it for about an hour and twenty minutes in a 350-degree oven (your mileage may vary, but basically just go until the flesh can be easily pierced with a knife).

After letting it cool for a while, we finally sliced in . . .

Other than forgetting to put some salt and pepper on the flesh of the pumpkin before stuffing it, this came out really nice -- and is served here with some deliciously mulled cider that my husband made. 

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

** You'll also never find ads here. **

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or
contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Greece: GEMISTA and GALAKTOBOUREKO)

I've had stuffed peppers before -- all my life, in fact.  But they were always kind of just thrown together; never from an actual thought out, tried and true, or traditional recipe.  So, when my good friend who happens to be Greek and who lives in Greece suggested Gemista (stuffed vegetables) for this installment, I didn't hesitate even though it doesn't seem to be any kind of official national dish.  According to my friend, Gemista is a food that everyone knows the smell and taste of, and pretty much everyone and their grandmother has their own way and secrets to cooking it.

He also told me I should try Galaktoboureko (a/k/a "milk pie" or "custard pie") -- another food that he says pretty much all Greeks fuss about, and even sweet shops are forever in competition over who makes the best.

So here they are (plated up together as part of a whole meal): 

Specifically on this plate is a stuffed green pepper, a stuffed orange pepper, a stuffed tomato,
and some potato wedges that roasted in the same pan; on the side there is bread and
feta cheese topped with dried oregano and olive oil; and then up top, the
Galaktoboureko garnished with lemon peel and a cinnamon stick

The recipes I used were the very ones that awesome friend supplied -- and although I could 95% follow these YouTube videos just by watching (it's otherwise, uh, all Greek to me - 😊) they do include links in the video descriptions to written recipes that can be translated):

• Gemista: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dESrdMD4xc&feature=youtu.be
• Galaktoboureko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5O083X2CXM&feature=youtu.be

The verdict?  These are the best stuffed peppers (and stuffed tomatoes) I've ever had, full of classic Greek flavors.  I would definitely make them again -- though I don't feel it was necessary to add water to the baking dish (they came out somewhat waterlogged and I think the ingredients would have given off enough liquid for this purpose themselves).  As for the milk/custard pie . . . . oh, yes!  Absolutely delightful, except for battling with poor quality store-bought phyllo dough during the build (of which I will have to find a better brand or make my own next time), and in my opinion there was way more syrup than I really wanted to put on the finished pastry (so now we have leftover lemony simple syrup to use in cocktails!).  I guess all these thoughts amount to that everyone-having-their-own-ways-and-secrets-to-making-things thing. 😉

Finally, I give you this bonus close-up of the Galaktoboureko because layers!

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Around the World in Foodventures (Croatia: ZAGORJE ŠTRUKLI)

I admittedly hesitated to make Zagorje Štrukli even though the interwebs told me that it's pretty much the most ubiquitous food in Croatia, because it felt like it was just going to be a basic cheese ravioli.  And it kind of is -- but that's okay because it's also really, really versatile -- which I bet is why Croatians love it.  They eat it in all kinds of savory and sweet ways: for an appetizer, added to soups, starring as the main course, when one needs a quick snack, or even turned into sweet desserts.

Tonight, I decided to cook it two typical ways (baked and boiled), plus tried a couple of basic toppings (crème fraîche, bread crumbs browned in butter, and a sprinkle of brown sugar).  Pictured below are all of those variations, plus some cross-sections so you can see the filling and dough layering. 

The left-hand plate (from top to bottom) contains a boiled Štrukli topped with bread crumb butter
and brown sugar, a Štrukli baked in butter and crème fraîche, and a cross-section of a plain boiled
Štrukli.  The right-hand plate (again from top to bottom) contains the cross-section of a Štrukli baked
in butter and crème fraîche, a boiled Štrukli topped with just bread crumb butter,
and finally, another whole Štrukli baked in butter and crème fraîche.

I referenced two YouTube videos to learn what to do:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVuY3uRtHTs
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycl_yg_LM68

. . . and I have to say, I'm a newly converted fan of rolling and stretching out dough on a piece of cloth.  I had seen people do it before, but never tried it, and I'm here now to tell you that I think it's the best way to prevent sticking and shrink-back.

Anyways, my review of Zagorje Štrukli (at least the ways I prepared it) is boy oh boy is this rich!  Which isn't surprising given that each form is essentially an exercise in different ways to combine eggs, cheese, cream, and butter.  I was surprised that I preferred the boiled version over the baked.  And my favorite of the ways I tried is definitely boiled with bread crumb butter and brown sugar on top.  It occurred to me too late this evening (I had already surpassed my fill) that one of these would probably be lovely with some fruit jam either cooked inside with the cheese or simply spread on top, or maybe (especially on the baked ones) a drizzle of honey.  I plan to test that theory perhaps for breakfast tomorrow.  Yum. 

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Around the World in Foodventures (Ethiopia: DORO WAT, MESIR WAT, and TELBA)

Have you ever had the first step of a recipe be to food process approximately 9 pounds of onions?  No?  Me neither -- until last night.  My husband's eyes were literally watering in the other room from the fumes (as I was for most certain full on crying in the kitchen) . . . I have jokingly taken to saying that onions are the national food of Ethiopia.  There was also so much stirring involved later on that I almost got a blister.  But it was all worth it.  

Doro Wat (a berbere-spiced chicken and egg stew) is usually reserved by home cooks for occasions such as special family gatherings, religious holidays, and weddings, partly because making it is very time-consuming; in this instance, it took me just about four hours total -- during which time I also made Mesir Wat (lentil stew) as a side dish, Telba (a flax seed and honey drink), and some plain white rice.  It all came together to form this beautiful meal at which we were lucky enough to have a friend come join us for the tasting:

I opted not to make Injera this time, even though it's integral to most Ethiopian meals, because I had already done so when we cooked from Eritrea.  And believe me, there was plenty of food without it! Here are the recipes I followed:

• Doro Wat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3s3NavOvZU
• Mesir Wat - https://www.whats4eats.com/vegetables/mesir-wat-recipe
• Telba - https://www.whats4eats.com/beverages/telba-recipe

The flavor of the Doro Wat at first seemed more subdued that I would have expected, given the combination of very authentic spices and Niter Kibbeh purchased from a local market, plus how long it takes to cook -- but as we went on eating, it built up and was much more forward.  I don't know if this was a factor of my taste buds failing me in the beginning or something else -- but in the end, it was utterly delightful and I couldn't stop eating it.  The Mesir Wat was nicely spicy and mixed well with either the sauce from the Doro Wat or the plain white rice.  And the Telba, after chilling in the fridge for a few hours before serving, turned out a full-bodied way to cut through any spiciness if needed.

This meal, overall, was quite a lot of effort and time, but it was great.  I look forward to working through the leftovers and finding other things to put the extra Doro Wat sauce on. 

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Around the World in Foodventures (Saudi Arabia: JAREESH a/k/a HAREES)

It seems that Kabsa is the official national dish of Saudi Arabia, but I already made something that is substantially or actually the same when I hit up Qatar (see my November 2019 Machboos post) -- so instead, for today's virtual culinary trip, I made Jareesh (also known as Harees and sometimes referred to as "wheat soup"). It's basically a porridge born from a mixture of rice and some other grain (in this instance: barley), made creamy by adding various fermented dairy products, and then topped with deliciously spiced caramelized onions.  It's traditionally eaten during Ramadan or wedding celebrations, and sometimes contains meat.  I chose to go with the vegetarian style.

It wasn't easy to find a completely clear recipe (even though it's prolific and every family has their own version) -- so after consulting with a good friend who is from and lives in Saudi Arabia (and who a couple years ago gave me the adorable salt & pepper shakers you see in the photo ❤), I settled on a combination of these two videos:

• https://youtu.be/nylr5Eqa6n8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGErBcqWR68

The verdict?  It's good!  My husband took a taste of it and immediately asked "Is there enough for another serving?"  Unfortunately, we already ate all the onion topping.  Maybe we put more than is normal on each of our bowls, I don't know . . . but I can either make more of that to put on the rest of the pot, or we can mix other things in; like granola or fruit or, really, anything would be yummy in here.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Around the World in Foodventures (Belgium: CHICON AU GRATIN)

Although Belgium has been next on the list for a while, I'd been putting this foodventure off because (pandemic/avoiding the general public/minimizing store trips) I didn't think finding Belgian endives would be so easy.  But we were out for a drive the other evening just to get out of the house, and decided to take a chance and swing by that store where an Internet billionaire overcharges for food.  I figured if anyone was going to have fancy leafy things, it'd be them; and it turns out Belgian is the only kind of endive they carry (no purple stuff in sight).  So we were off and running, and over $20 later for absolute minimal amounts of the four non-pantry-staple ingredients that we didn't already have at home (like really, you guys, we bought just 2 endives, a quarter pound of cheese, 2 measly ounces of prosciutto -- not even made in Italy -- marked @ ~$80/pound!, and some fresh parsley), I was ready to go.

But I digress 😛 ....

My non-literal (obviously 😉) translation of "Chicon Au Gratin" is "ham and cheesy fancy leafy" -- and that's pretty much what it is...cooked endives wrapped in ham and topped with a Mornay sauce, more cheese, and green stuff.  I read that it's traditionally served with mashed potatoes, and since I had a sweet potato lying around, I went with that:

It was pretty easy to make, and didn't take too much time.  Here is the recipe I followed: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/149844/belgian-endive-au-gratin/.  I used prosciutto, because (1) that's pretty much the only kind of sliced "deli" ham product Whale Foods --as we like to jokingly refer to it-- sells and (2) if you're gonna be indulgent, go all the way, right?

My only comment on this particular iteration of the dish is that I feel it would be better to roast the endives during the pre-cooking process rather than boil them.  I think that would develop some flavor and texture, and definitely would have them coming out less water-logged in the end.  Other than that, it's all good and delicious.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Around the World in Foodventures (Seychelles: OCTOPUS CURRY)

It's been a while, eh?  The world is focused on another topic right now, as have been I.  With Covid-19 doing it's thing, we've been minimizing our number of trips to the supermarket and definitely haven't been too interested in visiting multiple stores to gather unique or hard-to-find ingredients.  But walking by the frozen fish case a couple weeks ago, I did happen to see octopus -- so I grabbed a package knowing that Seychellois Octopus Curry was next up on my list.  Then I had to wait for Amazon to finally send me the coconut milk I couldn't find anywhere in person, as well as some Saffron.

I never imagined I'd cook with this critter (who funnily enough turned out to be a septopus rather than an octopus - I wonder what happened to it?), but here it is:

I basically followed the recipe at: https://www.internationalcuisine.com/octopus-curry/), but when it wasn't turning out nearly the color shown, decided to also reference this (http://lenautique.sc/blog/2016/08/31/creole-recipes-octopus-curry/) and this (http://globaltableadventure.com/recipe/recipe-massale-spice-blend/) -- which led me to add a little bit of curry powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.

Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of this dish.  There's nothing wrong with it and it's not bad.  It's just not my thing.  I honestly think I'm mainly turned off by the octopus itself (I've never really liked calamari or anything of the sort), and I guess I thought the eggplant would have absorbed more of the curry flavor than it did.  ((((shrug))))  I don't think I have anything else left to say other than....

Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Flatten the curve.  ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

Oh, and I have like 3 or 4 more frozen little octopuses that I have no idea what to do with (nor do I really want to eat them).  Want any???

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Parsnip-Leek Soup

This soup is Vegan / Plant-Based and Gluten-Free.

INGREDIENTS:

• Vegetable Oil
• 1 large leek (sliced fairly thin)
• a generous pinch or two of salt
• 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
• 1 heaping teaspoon of Minced Garlic
• 1 box (4 cups) of Vegetable Broth
• 2 cups of Water
• 1 pound of Parsnips (chopped)
• fresh Rosemary (~2 Tablespoons, chopped)
• fresh Sage (just a few leaves, chopped)

PROCEDURE:

1. In a medium pot -- saute the leeks in some oil, along with the garlic, salt, and pepper until the leeks are soft and smell delicious (maybe about 5 -10 minutes?).
2. Pour in the broth and water, and dump in the rest of the ingredients (parsnips, rosemary, and sage).
3. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes (or until the parsnips are soft enough to mash).
4. Puree the soup using either a stick blender or by transferring the soup (in batches if necessary) to a regular blender.
5. If needed, adjust the spices to your liking -- then enjoy!

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

** You'll also never find ads here. **

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or
contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Chile: PASTEL DE CHOCLO)

When I read that the national dish of Chile is Curanto, "a stew that...consists of every meat and seafood ingredient imaginable," it just didn't grab me.  There's nothing bad about it (don't get me wrong!) -- it's just that the really large amount of different meats and seafood seemed like a lot, and also, it sort of felt too similar to something like a traditional New England Clambake to be....adventurous?  So, I searched on and found Pastel de Choclo, which is sometimes also said to be a national dish of Chile, but even if it's not officially is in any case traditional and popular. 

I browsed a lot of Pastel de Choclo recipes, because I couldn't believe the odd mix of ingredients I was seeing (beef, corn, olives, raisins, hard-boiled eggs, and sugar) -- but soon realized that it was for real.  The strange melange combines to become what amounts to a Shepherd's Pie of sorts, and it's quite tasty:

Some recipes call for chicken in addition to the ground beef; some don't.  I decided to omit that particular component, even though the recipe I settled on did list it.  Here's what I followed: https://www.thespruceeats.com/pastel-de-choclo-beef-corn-casserole-3029546.

The sweetness in this rustic plate is really nice.  You should try it.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

This soup is neither Vegan / Plant-Based, nor Gluten-Free -- but can be made
so by using Vegetable Stock in place of the Chicken Stock, and Corn Starch in
place of the Flour.  (Though, any liquid swap out will affect the flavor somewhat.)

INGREDIENTS:

• One 4.5-ounce package of Carolina Long Grain & Wild Rice with Seasonings (or some equivalent amount with or without spices added) 
• One box (~4 cups) of Chicken Broth
• One bunch of Scallions (chopped)
• 1/2 cup of Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup of Milk
• 2 Tablespoons of All-Purpose Flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/8-1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1.5 cups of sliced (Button or Baby Bella) Mushrooms
• 1 Tablespoon of Brandy

PROCEDURE:

1. Put the chicken stock and rice into a medium pot, bring it to a boil, then simmer (covered) for about 15 minutes.
2. Add the scallions and cook for 10 more minutes or until the rice is tender.
3. Mix together the flour, all the spices, the cream, and the milk -- then add this mixture to the pan along with the mushrooms.  Bring the heat back up to medium-high, and stir until it begins boiling again.
4. Reduce the heat back down to a simmer, add the brandy, and cook on low until the mushrooms are done (about 10 more minutes). 
5. You'll get 3 - 4 good size bowls of soup when done.

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

** You'll also never find ads here. **

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or

contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Red Peppers

This soup Vegan / Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, and spicy!
If you want to tone down the hot, feel free to add some
cream, but then obviously it won't be vegan anymore.
Another option would be to use fewer Chipotle peppers.

INGREDIENTS:

• Vegetable Oil of your choice 
• 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt 
• 1 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper 
• 1/2 of a Yellow Onion (chopped) 
• 2 stalks of Celery (chopped) 
• 1 large Carrot (chopped) 
• 2 heaping teaspoons Minced Garlic 
• 3 very large Sweet Potatoes (chopped) 
• 8-ounces of jarred Roasted Red Peppers 
• 3 Chipotles in Adobo (chopped) 
• One 32-ounce box of Vegetable Stock 
• Water 
• 1/2 cup of Maple Syrup
  

PROCEDURE:

1. In a big soup pot -- sauté the onion, celery, and carrot, with the Salt and Pepper, in a few Tablespoons of oil until things start to look translucent and soft. Add the garlic towards the end. 
2. Once the garlic cooks for a couple of minutes, add the sweet potatoes, roasted red peppers, chipotles, vegetable stock, and enough water to cover everything (in my case, this was another 32-ounces...I used the veggie stock box to measure).
3.  Bring it to a boil and cook for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are mushy.
4.  Add the maple syrup, and then carefully puree everything together (either using a stick blender right in the pot, or by transferring it in batches to a regular, counter-top blender).
5.  Enjoy as-is if you like spicy food, or swirl some cream into your bowl if you'd prefer to mellow it out.

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

** You'll also never find ads here. **

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or

contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.