Dinner in a Pumpkin

By Boise Co-op member Brandy Wilson

I’d like to share this recipe for Dinner in a Pumpkin. It was inspired by an all-beef version, but I changed it significantly when I went to this vegetarian take on the recipe. It’s safe to say that this is my own creation!

This is a great way for people on limited diets to have an outrageously beautiful centerpiece for a holiday meal. Fits gluten-free, Candida-restricted, and allergy-free dietary limitations. If any of these no-fun diets have you perturbed this holiday season, the fun will come bouncing back in with one or two of these sweet and savory beauties on the table!

Serves 8


2 small Pie Pumpkins (8-inch diameter)

1 can Black Beans

1 can Kidney Beans

1 can Great Northern Beans

1 can Pinto Beans

1 can Diced Tomatoes (16 ounce)

1 can Tomato Sauce (8 ounce)

2 Anaheim Peppers, chopped

1 Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

1/3 cup Green Olives, chopped

1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 Tablespoon Oregano

1 Tablespoon Basil

2 teaspoons Cumin

2 teaspoons Chipotle Pepper Powder

Cut a circle out of the top of the pumpkin, slicing at an angle so the lid will sit neatly back on top. Scoop out the guts, and don’t forget to clean and roast those pumpkin seeds for another treat. Set the pumpkins in a roasting pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients. Spoon the chili mixture into the pumpkins, and set the pumpkin lids back on top. If you prefer, you can sauté the onions and peppers ahead of time. They are also fine just thrown in.

For thick-walled pumpkins, bake at 375 degrees for 2 to 2 ½ hours (pumpkins like “sugar pie” and “Casper” tend to fall into this category). For thinner-walled pumpkins, or if you are only doing one pumpkin, bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ to 2 hours (such as the Cinderella coach pumpkin, “Rouge vif d’Etampes”). If unsure, allow an extra half-hour for baking. The pumpkins hold well in a warm oven.

Bake until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork and the chili is bubbly. To serve, scoop the chili with some of the pumpkin flesh into bowls.


Enjoy!
Brandy Wilson

Pink Bean, Quinoa, and Spinach Soup

1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 baby carrots, quartered lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 natural, salt-free vegetable bouillon cubes

One 14- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1/2 cup quinoa

2 cups pink beans, cooked-drained-rinsed (Boise Coop Bulk Aisle)

5 to 6 ounces baby spinach leaves, well rinsed

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the carrots and garlic, and continue to sauté until all are golden, about 5 minutes.

Add 6 cups water, followed by the bouillon cubes, tomatoes, quinoa, beans, and spices. Bring to a rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender.

Add the spinach and cover. Cook for just a minute or two, until it is wilted, then stir in. Adjust the consistency with a little more water if the soup is too dense; season with salt and pepper and serve.


This recipe has been brought to you by the Boise Coop Promotional Team!!

Baby Lima Soup with Chipotle Broth

1 pound dried Baby Lima Beans, picked over and rinsed

10 cups Water

1 head Garlic, top lobbed off to expose the cloves and loose skins removed

2 tablespoons Olive Oil or Clarified Butter

1 Onion, halved top to bottom and sliced into thin crescents

1 to 2 Chipotles in adobo sauce

2 teaspoons fine-grain Sea Salt

Squeeze of Lime juice (optional)

Pick over the beans, looking carefully for any pebbles or dirt clumps; baby limas seem to be magnets for dirt. Rinse the beans, then combine them with the water and garlic in a heavy soup pot. You might think putting a whole head of unpeeled garlic in the pot is strange, but just go with it. Bring the beans to an active simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until just a touch al dente and not mushy or falling apart. Test their doneness by tasting; you really can't tell any other way.

Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion, chipotles, and 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce, and sauté over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the onion starts to soften. You can always add more adobo sauce later for a spicier soup; just don't overdo it on the front end.

Add the salt and the onion-chipotle mix to the pot of beans and simmer gently for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. The broth should be thin, so add more water if needed. Add more salt and more adobo a bit at a time if the flavors aren't popping. Finish with a squeeze of lime if you like. I usually remove the garlic head at this point or serve around it.

Serves 6.

Amaranth Salad with Garbanzo Beans

1 cup cooked Garbanzo Beans
1 cup organic Corn
1 whole Avocado, sliced and peeled
1 cup organic whole Amaranth, rinsed and cooked
1 teaspoon Grape Seed Oil
½ cup chopped organic Peppers, red or yellow or both
2 ripe organic Roma Tomatoes, seeded and sliced. (Grape tomatoes could also work)
½ organic Red Onion, (or green onion is good, too), finely diced
1 handful organic Cilantro
1 handful organic Parsley
1 handful organic Mint (optional, but very nice in the warmer months)
2 tablespoons organic Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Lemon Rind (optional)
Dash Sea Salt or Himalayan Crystal Salt (very mineral-rich)
Dash non-irradiated Cayenne Pepper


Wash your hands thoroughly-always, but especially for this one.

Boil up 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. Cook the amaranth through: put it in a large bowl, with the grape seed oil and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Leave the mixture for 40 min, fluffing with a fork to separate the grains from time to time.

If you have missed any slicing or chopping of herbs or veggies, now id the time to catch up.

Before adding the remaining salad ingredients, rub the cooked grains in your hands to remove any lumps. The grains will retain a little crunch.

Toss everything together and season with a dash of cayenne pepper.

Serves 2, with leftovers for lunch.

Black Garbanzo Bean Salad

3 cups cooked Black Garbanzo Beans
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Orange Pepper, diced
1 bunch Cilantro (remove stems, chop leaves)
15 sliced Cherry Tomatoes, halved
½ chopped Red Onion

Dressing
½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
Juice from 1-1/2 Limes
½ cup Canola Oil
Chopped Chili Peppers (optional)
Salt and Pepper

Mix all dressing ingredients and refrigerate.

Combine all salad ingredients, toss with dressing.

Black Beluga Lentil Soup Recipe

Black Beluga Lentils look like caviar when cooked and are delicious as a side dish. They are excellent in soups and salads, and are higher in amino acids than French, green, or red lentils. Their mild flavor combines readily with other ingredients in soups and grain salads and they hold their small round shape. 

These tiny lentils are indigenous to Syria and have been eaten for over 8,000 years.  Lentils are the seed of a small shrub and have been a staple food for many South Asian cultures. They have a mild, earthly flavor and soft texture.  They're delicious in chilled vegetable salads, or mixrf with bread crumbs, minced onion and garlic to stuff roasted red peppers or eggplant. They cook in about 30 minutes without soaking.


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cups yellow Onions, medium dice
1 cup Celery, medium dice
1 cup Carrots, medium dice
3 cups total of yellow, green and red bell peppers, medium dice
1 Jalapeño minced (no seeds)
2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
4 quarts Vegetable Stock
2 cups Tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)
¾ pounds black Beluga lentils (optional brown or French lentils)
1 Bay Leaf
1 tablespoon dry Thyme
2 pounds yellow Finn Potatoes, large dice
2 dashes Hot Pepper Sauce
1/8 cup Italian Parsley, chopped
1/8 cup Fresh chopped herbs, such as oregano, sage, rosemary & chives
1 ounce White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
In a two gallon stockpot over medium heat, add olive oil and onions, celery, carrots, peppers and jalapeño. Sweat vegetables approximately seven minutes until onions turn translucent. Add fresh garlic, cook for one minute. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, black Beluga lentils, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Simmer until lentils are tender. Add potatoes, tabasco, Italian parsley, fresh herbs, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until potatoes are tender.

A delicious, hearty and comforting soup on a cold winter night.

Black Garbanzo Tabouli

1 cup fine grain Bulgur

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 pint cherry tomatoes halved and drained

½ cup of thinly sliced green onion

2 pinches of cumin

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

10-15 mint leaves chopped

½ cup black garbanzo beans

1. Place the bulgur in a fine sieve, rinse under cold running water, squeeze dry, and soak in the lemon juice for 45 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the bulgur.

2. In a bowl, combine the black garbanzos, tomatoes, green onion, cumin, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle on the olive oil and toss. Fold in the bulgur, parsley, and mint and mix well. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally.

3. Taste and correct the flavors with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

 

Mindy's Smooth and Creamy Vegan Minestrone

By Boise Co-op Member Mindy Block.
Thank you, Mindy!!!

Organic and Vegan!
Difficulty Level: Easy Sneezy!
I love creamy soups, this one is simple, filling, inexpensive and super yummy.

Ingredients:

1 Organic Red Onion, chopped to a medium dice

2 Organic Leeks, white part only, sliced 1/4 inch moons

4 stalks Organic Celery chopped to a medium dice

2 Organic medium Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes, peeled and chopped to a medium dice

1 (12 ounce) can of Organic Diced Tomatoes

2 Organic Zucchini, chopped to a medium dice

2 cups Organic Navy Beans, soaked overnight and rinsed

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

3/4 cup Millet

Salt and Pepper


In a large soup pot, place the onion, leeks, zucchini, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, olive oil and navy beans and cover with water about 1 inch above veggies. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Add millet and continue simmering another 20 minutes. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper. I use 2 Tbsp of sea salt and and 1 tsp. pepper. Let the mixture cool for a half hour.

Get out your blender and blend the soup in batche,s placing blended soup in a large bowl as you scoop out from the pot. I leave about 1/4 of the soup unblended for a little texture; it's an individual preference thing. When ready to serve I reheat, check seasoning and serve with toasted sprouted grain bread slices topped with vegan margarine. Two people can eat this healthful, warming yet light meal for days.

Rich Lentil Soup

Serves 6-8

1½ cups French Green Lentils, (Lentils de Puy) soaked 3 hours
1 large Onions, thinly chopped
3 Carrots, diced
1 stalk Celery, chopped
1 stalk Fennel, chopped
6 - 8 cups Water or Vegetable Stock
1 Tbsp Peanut Oil or Olive Oil
5 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp Curry Powder
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Juice of one Lemon

Garnish: Croutons or Toasted Almonds

In a large casserole, sauté the onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until they start to caramelize. Add the carrot, celery, and fennel. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the lentils and the liquid. Once the mixture starts boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Cover.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and sauté the garlic until tender but not browned. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the lentils and vegetables. Mix together well, then pour into the pan of lentils. Cooking time may vary. Check to make sure the lentils and vegetables are soft.

Pass through a food mill or purée briefly in a blender or food processor – try to achieve a smooth texture. Return the soup to the pan to reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook’s Note: Add the lemon juice just before serving, and garnish with a scattering of croutons or toasted almonds.