Grilled Winter Squash with Millet Pilaf and Coconut Chutney Sauce

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup prepared mango chutney
1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
2/3 cup uncooked millet
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 medium acorn or delicata squashes (about 1 lb. each)
4 tsp. coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1 small carrot, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. mustard seeds, crushed
1 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed
1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
4 cups loosely packed, finely chopped napa cabbage
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne

To make the sauce, combine the coconut milk, chutney, and lime juice in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Set aside at room temerature so the flavors can blend.  Preheat a coal or gas grill to medium-high.

Rinse and drain the millet and toast it in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan.  Add the toasted millet to the hot stock.  Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer 25 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit with lid undisturbed until you are ready for the millet.

Meanwhile, cut the squashes in half lengthwise.  Do not peel them.  Scrape out and discard the seeds.  Slice each half into 1-inch wedges.  Use 2 tsp. of the oil to lightly coat both sides of each squash wedge.  Place the squash on the hot grill and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, turning once.  Squash should be quite tender but not falling apart.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp. of oil over medium heat in a sauté pan or skillet.  Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, along with the mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds.  Sauté, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.  Add the cabbage, salt, and cayenne and sauté 5 minutes longer, until cabbage is wilted.  Gently, but thoroughly, combine the sautéed vegetables with the hot cooked millet.

Mound the hot pilaf onto individual serving plates.  Arrange grilled squash wedges alongside each portion of pilaf.  Spoon the sauce generously over the squash and serve immediately.

(I just baked my squash instead of grilling.  I also just mixed everything together to take for lunches - would recommend cutting squash into a smaller dice to serve in this way.  Be careful of the chutney you buy: some are super sugary!  All in all, this had a nice and interesting flavor.)

Garnet Pilaf

(recipe from sproutedkitchen.com)

1/2 cup brown rice
3 sweet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika, divided
sea salt and pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup red quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water or broth
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
sprinkle of red chili flakes, if you like some heat
1 bunch fresh chives, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Rinse and cook the brown rice according to instructions.  This takes the longest, so start the rice first.

Wash and dice the sweet potatoes into 1" cubes.  Pile them on a large, rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp. of the smoked paprika and a few pinches of sea salt.  Toss everything together with your hands to coat and spread them all out in a single layer.  Sprinkle with a few grinds of pepper.

Roast sweet potatoes on the middle rack for 23-25 minutes, until the edges are browned and crisp.

In a pot, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the diced onion until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the quinoa, a pinch of sea salt, 1 cup water or broth and bring to a boil.  Turn it down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15-17 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Turn off the heat, fluff with a fork and cover it for another few minutes to finish.

When both the rice and quinoa are cooked, put them both in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle with the remaining Tbsp. of olive oil, remaining 1/2 Tbsp. smoked paprika, red wine vinegar, chili flakes if using, and toss everything together to mix.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Top it with the cubes of sweet potatoes and a ton of fresh chives and serve.

*It may not be piping hot at the point of serving, and that is ok.  It tastes best just a tad warmer than room temperature.

Winter Squash and Cauliflower Soup with Rosemary and Marsala

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

1 1/2 lbs. winter squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (4 cups)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp. dried red chili flakes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp. salt
4 cups vegetable stock
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups diced cauliflower
3/4 cup dried small shell pasta
1/3 cup Marsala

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat for a moment, then add the onion and chili flakes.  Stir and sauté about 2 minutes, then stir in the squash, garlic, rosemary, and salt.  Saute about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the squash and onions are beginning to brown.  Add the stock and the tomatoes with their juice.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the cauliflower, pasta, and Marsala, and bring back to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-high to maintain a strong simmer and cook about 12 minutes, until cauliflower is fork-tender and pasta is al dente.  Serve very hot.

South of the Border Guacamole

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

4 avocadoes, seeded & peeled
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt
4 (or to taste) serrano chilies, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3/4 cup diced tomatoes, seeded & well drained

In a food processor, combine onion, chilies, cilantro and salt; reserve.  Coarsely mash (do not puree) avocadoes.  Fold in reserved onion mixture, then tomato.  Serve with tortilla chips.

West Indian Pumpkin with Jerk-Spiced Tempeh

(recipe from The New Vegan Cookbook by Lorna Sass)

For the tempeh:
8 oz. tempeh
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus oil for preparing the pan
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 to 1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 medium vidalia or other sweet onion, peeled and cut into eighths
Hot sauce

For the pumpkin:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
One 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
1/2 to 1 cup unseasoned tomato juice, or water
3 to 4 Tbsp. marinade (reserved from the jerk-spiced tempeh)
1 to 2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 lbs. calabaza pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

With a fork, deeply prick the tempeh about 20 times on each side.  Cut into 1/2-inch dice.  Set aside.

In a blender, combine the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, pepper, salt, and onion.  Puree until very smooth, about 1 minute.  Add hot sauce to taste.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.

Pour half of the remaining marinade into a storage container.  Add the diced tempeh.  Pour the rest of the marinade on top.  Cover, then shake gently to coat the tempeh evenly.  Set aside for 15 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).

While the tempeh is marinating, prepare the curried pumpkin:  Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan.  Cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, 1/2 cup tomato juice (or water), 3 Tbsp. of the reserved marinade, and the smaller amounts of curry, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Stir in the pumpkin.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  During this time, adjust the seasoning by adding more marinade and spices if you wish.  Add more tomato juice or water if the sauce becomes too thick.

While the pumpkin is cooking, preheat the oven to 425F.  Brush a large nonstick baking sheet or roasting pan with oil (if nonstick, line with oiled foil).  Spread the marinated tempeh in the pan in one layer.  (It's okay if some of the unabsorbed marinade ends up in the pan.)  Bake until the color deepens and the top of each piece feels fairly dry and is no longer sticky to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes.  (Do not cook the tempeh longer than 12 minutes, as it will dry out.)

To serve, spoon the curried pumpkin onto dinner plates and set the jerk-spiced tempeh on top.

(I used butternut squash for this recipe.  The spice of this is incredible!  The marinade for the tempeh is amazing!  I actually added all of the remaining marinade to the pumpkin mixture.  The recipe is written out so well - it sounds involved but is incrediby easy to follow.)

Vidalia Onion Soup

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
5 lbs. Vidalia or other sweet onion, halved, then sliced thinly
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups water or vegetable stock
2/3 cup shoyu or soy sauce (or tamari)
1/4 cup dark balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup vegetarian worcestershire sauce (I omitted this)
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup dry sherry

Heat the garlic and olive oil in the saucepan until lightly browned.  Add the onions, thyme, and crushed red pepper.  Allow onions to thoroughly caramelize by periodically stirring over a medium-high heat for appoximately 15 minutes.

Once the onions are well-browned, add the water or stock, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, and sugar.  (The sugar will help to offset the acidity of the other ingredients.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Allow soup to simmer covered for approximately 30 minutes, then uncovered for approximately 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Add sherry, then simmer for another 5 minutes.  Serve.

(This is a delicious vegetarian version of an onion soup!  I loved it!)