Spicy Pumpkin with Spinach and Cashews [vegetarian]

We all enjoyed the combination of flavors in Oriental Spiced Pumpkin Pie so much that I decided to use it in a similar but easier (and faster) to prepare dish. My idea was to create a type of vegetarian stew that could be served as a main with rice, couscous or quinoa, or as a side dish for duck/chicken.

I used coconut milk not only to create the sauce but also to enhance the taste of the dish. And – in case it is supposed to be served as a main vegetarian dish – I added cashew nuts for the extra proteins. The final meal is really delicious: creamy, spiced but not too spicy, wonderful for cold autumn and winter days.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions as a main, or 6 as side dish):

1 tsp ground coriander,

1 tsp ground cumin,

1 tsp cinnamon,

1 tsp sweet paprika,

0.5 tsp hot paprika,

0.5 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil,

500g squash, deseeded, peeled and cut in to 3 cm pieces,

100g shallots, peeled and cut into quarters,

2 tsp grated ginger,

40g cashew nuts,

40g raisins,

1 tbsp honey,

250ml coconut milk,

50g spinach.

METHOD:

1. Preheat an oven to 180 degrees fan.
2. In a small bowl mix together the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, both paprika, salt an 2 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Put the squash into a baking tin and pour the mixed spices, coat the squash well in the mixture (can be done with your hands) and put to the hot oven for 30 minutes.
4. Warm up 1 tbsp olive in a big frying pan, add the shallots and fry them on a medium heat for approx. 10 min.
5. Add the ginger, fry for another minute and then add the cashews, raisins and honey, stir and add the baked squash.
6. Stir in the coconut milk and spinach; cook till the spinach starts to wilt.
7. Serve with rice, couscous or quinoa as a separate, vegetarian/vegan dish or as a side dish with chicken or duck.

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2 Method Pasta with Squash, Mushrooms and Spinach [vegetarian]

It was almost like a love at first sight: I tried a pasta dish with pumpkin and mushrooms fried on plenty of butter and with double cream added to it for extra taste, and I fell for it completely. But just as it sometimes happens with falling in love, after the first euphoria the common sense takes over. In case of that wonderful pasta it was about fat: I knew I had to keep my cholesterol level under control which meant I couldn't have this dish as often as I would have liked.

So I had only one option: to come up with a healthier but still very tasty dish. What I didn't know then is that I would come up with two ways of making this delicious pasta dish and I would not be able to decide which one was tastier. And that is the reason why at the end I decided to include both methods. If you - just like me - don’t know which one to choose, I can give you some hints. If you prefer to have a very healthy option and an almost-straight-from-the-oven-to-the-table dish, choose the Roasting Method. But if you have more time to be involved in cooking and you are not so concerned about a bit of fat (as it does use a little butter), choose the Frying Method. However the truth is that whichever option you decide on, you will be very happy with the result!

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

1 butternut squash (weighing approx. 1 kg), peeled, seeds removed and cut into 2cm cubes,

3 tbsp olive oil,

250g mushrooms (champignons), cut into quarters,

350g cherry tomatoes, halved,

2 garlic cloves, minced,

250g  spinach,

2 tsp thyme,

400g pasta (preferably tagliatelle or pappardelle),

Salt and pepper.

Parmesan cheese.

2 tbsp butter (for the Frying Method only).

METHOD 1 (Roasting):

1. Preheat an oven to 180 degrees (fan).
2. Place the cubes of butternut squash on a big baking tray, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over them, sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix well (you can do it with your hands) and put to the hot oven for 20 minutes.
3. Take the baking tray out of the oven, move the squash around in case it got stuck to the bottom of the tray; push to one side; add the mushrooms and the tomatoes. Season, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over the added vegetables and put back to the oven for further 20 minutes.
4. Approx. 5-10 minutes before the vegetables are done, cook the pasta per packet instruction. Keep half a cup of cooking water before you drain the cooked pasta.
5. In a big frying pan heat the 1 tbsp olive oil, add the garlic, spinach and fry only till wilted.
6. Add the roasted vegetables and thyme, season.
7. Pour a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the baking tray in which vegetables were roasted and deglaze it. You can do it by moving a spatula to dissolve the brown residue from the bottom of the tray – this way you will get some extra flavour.
8. Pour the sauce to the pan with the vegetables, stir and mix gently with the cooked pasta.
9. Serve with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese.

METHOD 2 (Frying):

1. In a big frying pan heat up 1 tbsp of each: oil and butter, add the mushrooms and fry them (stirring occasionally) for 5-7 minutes until golden, put aside.
2. In the same frying pan heat up 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp of butter, add the cubed squash and thyme, fry on a medium heat for 15-17 minutes making sure the squash doesn’t burn. If it starts sticking too much, you may add a bit of boiled water.
3. Just before the squash is ready, cook the pasta per packet instruction. Keep half a cup of cooking water before you drain the cooked pasta.
4. Add the tomatoes to the squash and fry for 5 minutes more.
5. In another frying pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add the garlic, spinach and fry only till wilted.
6. Transfer the wilted spinach to the pan with the other vegetables, season and mix gently with the cooked pasta. If the dish is a bit too dry, you may add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
7. Serve with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese.

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Oriental Spiced Pumpkin Pie (vegetarian)

Having a vegetarian at home sometimes makes cooking more challenging. And celebrations like Christmas is one of those times as you would like to prepare something special: very tasty, good looking but also nutritious. This pie ticks all the boxes. It is packed with wonderful ingredients and flavours and the filo pastry allows you to create ruffle-like decorations to make the pie look beautiful.

Although it is a savoury dish, it is rather on a sweet side thanks to the pumpkin and honey. However the spicy harrisa sauce balances the pie beautifully so for sure you will not feel like you are having a dessert for main meal!

INGREDIENTS (6-8 portions):

2 tsp coriander seeds,

2 tsp cumin seeds,

1 tsp paprika,

0.5 tsp cinnamon,

6 tbsp olive oil,

900g pumpkin (I used Hokkaido), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes,

12 shallots quartered,

4 cm piece root ginger, grated,

140g whole blanched almonds,

140g shelled pistachios,

75g raisins (or cranberries),

3 tbsp clear honey,

200g fresh spinach,

Salt and pepper,

4-8 large sheets of filo pastry (depending on its size),

Extra olive oil for brushing the filo pastry.

Sauce:

200g plain yogurt,

2-3 tbsp harrisa paste,

1 tbsp chopped mint leaves,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Preheat an oven to 200C (or 180C fan).
2. Over a medium heat dry fry the cumin and coriander seeds till they release aroma, grind them using a pestle and mortar, add paprika, cinnamon, 0.5 tsp salt and 4 tbsp olive oil and mix everything together.
3. Place the pumpkin cubes in a roasting tin, poor the spiced olive over it and mix well to coat all the pieces (best done with your hands).
4. Put to the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked through.
5. In the meantime heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the shallots and fry them stirring for approx. 5 minutes till they start getting slightly brown.
6. Add the ginger, 100g pistachios and 100g almonds, fry for further 2 minutes.
7. Add the raisins (or cranberries), 2 tbsp honey and the spinach, fry stirring till the spinach is wilted, mix everything with the roasted pumpkin when it is ready.
8. Grease a 23cm diameter loose-bottomed baking tin.
9. The filo pastry sheets should be kept under a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out. Each filo pastry sheet should be brushed on one side with olive oil before it is put to the baking tin. If sheets are big enough, put one in so it covers the bottom and two opposite sides of the tin with some overhang and then turn the tin 90 degrees and put the second sheet the same way (now the bottom is covered by 2 layers and side by 1 layer, with some overlaps). Repeat the steps with 2 more sheets of filo pastry. If the sheets are smaller, then place one in the tin so it covers the bottom (or at least two thirds of it) and 1 side with some pastry overhanging and then put the second one the same way but to cover the opposite side of the tin. Turn the tin 90 degrees and put two other sheets the same way. Repeat the steps so there are at least 2 layers of filo pastry everywhere.
10. Put the pumpkin mixture to the tin, spread it and cover with the overhanging filo pastry creating desirable pattern. In case the filo wouldn't cover the top of the pie completely, at first use another sheet and only then decorate with the rest of the pastry. The pie can be prepared up to this stage and kept in a fridge covered with cling film a day in advance.
11. Put to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
12. Just before the pie is ready, toast the rest of almond and pistachios until golden, mix with 1 tbsp of honey and pour over the pie.
13. Serve it with a sauce prepared by mixing all the ingredients together.

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