Burmese pumpkin stew

 This is one of my favorite side dishes to make when cooking Southeast Asian food (and I will make it with both Burmese curries and Thai curries). You could certainly eat this on its own, but it is more common to eat along with something else (as is common in both Thai and Burmese cuisines!). 

I find that it pairs well with a vegetable (such as stir fried bok choy or green beans) and a curry, such as a Thai red curry dish or a Burmese meat curry). 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 lb. peeled Kabocha squash cut into 1-in cubes (about 4 large cups)
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp minced ginger
• 3/4 - 1 cup of diced yellow onion
• 1/4 tsp chili powder (or more if you want more heat)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp paprika (ideally not smoked)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Cut, peel, and seed the Kabocha squash (note: I highly recommend buying pre-peeled and pre-cut Kabocha squash if you can...it is an absolutely pain - and potential danger to your fingers if using a knife - to peel)
2. In a large sauce pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to turn translucent (about 6 minutes). 
3. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili powder and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 
4. Add the squash, turmeric, paprika, and salt and give 1-2 stirs to mix together. 
5. Add the water and the tamarind concentrate and give another 1-2 stirs. 
6. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. 
7. Simmer (uncovered) for about 10-11 minutes. The squash should then be tender when pierced with a fork or knife but not mushy. If you cannot pierce with a fork or knife easily, cook an additional 2 minutes. 
8. Remove the pieces of pumpkin from the pot (but not the juices!)
9. Bring the heat to medium-low and reduce the stew/curry sauce for an additional 4-5 minutes until thicker
10. Remove from the heat, add the pumpkin back into the pot, and stir gently until combined. 
11. Serve over rice with whatever else you are serving!

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Rice Pilaf with Homemade Vegetable Stock and Saskatchewan Wild Rice (Gratitude Post!)

Rice Pilaf (Vegan Sausage) and Homemade Tzatziki !

This is a gratitude post! This is a recipe that is grateful for friends and family who share recipes, food, and resources.

This is a rice pilaf dish that I came up to use homemade vegetable stock, based on our friends’ recipe (check it out on their blog!), and a long grain wild rice given to us by Mark’s Aunt and Uncle in Saskatchewan (Canada).

It made for a really easy and tasty weekday meal and the leftovers were just as good as the original. NOTE: You do not need to have fancy Canadian rice for this, but I do urge you to diversify the rice(s) you put into your pilaf for different flavors and textures. Just note that you may want to slightly adjust the broth/liquid depending on the type of rice.  

This recipe uses a field roast, but you could certainly sub for real sausage, fish, other meat, or simply veggies.

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 2 Tbsp butter (sub olive oil if you prefer/if cooking vegan)
• ½ cup orzo pasta
• ½- ¾ cup diced onion (yellow or red)
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup uncooked white/jasmine rice
• 1/3 cup Saskatchewan wild rice (sub for another wild rice, long grain rice, etc.)
• 2 ¼ cup vegetable broth/stock
• Field roast Italian garlic and fennel plant-based sausage (or other protein)
• ½ cucumber, diced  

 

Homemade Tzatziki (from Love and Lemons!)

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup finely grated cucumber
• ½ Tbsp lemon juice
• ½ Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small clove of garlic, grated
• Pinch of sea salt
• ½ Tbsp chopped dill

 

Directions

Melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) in a lidded skillet over medium-low heat. Add the orzo and cook until golden brown stirring frequently.

Stir in the onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion becomes translucent (approx. 5 min), add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add all the rice and the broth/stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil

Reduce the heat back to low/medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed (approx. 25 minutes).  

While the rice pilaf is cooking, slice your sausages and warm up in a pan over medium heat until they brown slightly on both sides (if you are using uncooked meat, you will need to properly cook it)

While your sausages are browning and your rice pilaf is cooking, make the tzatziki: Squeeze liquid from the cucumber slices using a towel and then combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Remove from the heat (cook for a few minutes with the lid off if there is noticeable liquid remaining), let sit for a few minutes, and then stir.

Place rice pilaf into a bowl, top with the browned sausage slices (~ 1 sausage per person), add fresh diced cucumbers, and top with tzatziki! 

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Hearty Vegan Corn Chowder

 This is a recipe that we adapted from Mark's mother to be meat-free and dairy-free. While the original recipe calls for half-and-half, milk, and white wine, these are not often things that we have readily on hand. We also have people who are either vegetarian or dairy-free in our family and friend groups and so this is a really great, easy recipe that easily accommodates lots of people in our lives!

Key, however, is using a hearty vegetable broth. When using store bought broth, we always use Pacific Foods Low Sodium Vegetable Broth! I appreciate that it is low in sodium and that the ingredient list is short and lists nothing that I myself wouldn't recognize easily as being included in a vegetable broth! It's also a very hearty vegetable broth. 

Vegan corn chowder topped with fresh cilantro, green onion, and avocado!

Prep your onions, red pepper, and potatoes before you begin. Sauté your onion and red pepper in olive oil over medium-medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Add flour before the broth to coat the pepper and onion - this makes a 'rue' to make this chowder a bit creamier and heartier!

Then add your broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the potatoes. I also like to season with a little salt and pepper at this stage. Bring to a boil again and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes (you may decide you need a few more minutes depending on how big you cut your potatoes and how cooked you like them). Lastly, add the corn and simmer another 10 minutes!

We like to to the soup with some chopped up cilantro and green onion and some slices of avocado. We also often add a few drops of hot sauce for a bit of a kick! If you are wanting this dish to have a little meat, it is also excellent topped with some chopped bacon (note: if you are not cooking this to be vegetarian/vegan, then you can cook your bacon first, remove the bacon from the pan, and sauté your onion and red pepper in the bacon fat).



Ingredients (~8 servings)
1 tbsp olive oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil) [you could also use butter]
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 32oz container) hearty vegetable broth (we use Pacific Foods Low Sodium)
1 lb red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-1/2in pieces
1 tsp dried thyme
1 16oz bag of frozen corn
chopped green onions (for topping)
chopped fresh cilantro (for topping)
slices of avocado (for topping)


Steps
1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch over over medium-medium high heat (a large pot also works well).
2. Add onion and red pepper and sauté until onions are soft (and a bit translucent).
3. Add flour and stir until the onion and red pepper are coated and slightly browning (~2 min).
4. Pour in broth, add the thyme, and bring to a boil.
5. Add potatoes, bring to a boil again, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
6. Add frozen corn and simmer about another 10 minutes.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped cilantro, green onion, and slices of avocado if you desire. You can also add a few drops of hot sauce if you want a little kick!

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