Broccoli, Pumpkin & Peanut Stir-fry

During autumn, local Farmer's Markets will have pumpkins of all shapes, colors and uses. Be sure to ask him or her for the most flavorFULL for your recipes and which is best for carving the jack-o-lantern for decorating your porch!

Lenise, my friend from church, gifted me with Basmati Rice from India! I couldn't wait to stay home long enough to get creative in the kitchen using the fragrant rice. A rice cooker is my preference while cooking the veggies, because it will automatically cut-off and I don't have to babysit a pot of rice. WINNING!

For this stir-fry recipe, I diced a little more than 1 cup of the cute little Sugar Pie Pumpkin and roasted the rest to be used, later, for other recipes. Stir-fry is a quick cooking dish perfect for after work. Taking only a few minutes, the veggies cook until slightly softened. If including meat or tofu with this dish, prepare and cook before the veggies.

Broccoli and Pumpkin Stir-fry

1 Onion, diced

1 cup Pumpkin, peeled & diced

2-3 cloves Garlic, minced

1-3 large Carrots, peeled & cut

1-2 large Broccoli heads/bunches, cut into florets a.k.a. "little trees"

8 oz sliced, fresh Mushrooms

1-2 tablespoons Oil (coconut or olive)

For "heat" - Red Pepper Flakes  -OR-  Sriracha

Creamy Peanut Butter & Low Sodium Soy Sauce  -OR-  Chinese Brown Sauce (scroll toward bottom of this post)

Basmati Rice

(optional: Extra Firm Tofu drained and large diced, Chicken or other meat thinly sliced)

• Heat oil in large skillet to medium high.
• Sauté onion, pumpkin and carrots until slightly softened. Keep stirring to prevent scorching.
• Add garlic, broccoli and mushrooms. Keep stirring to prevent scorching.
• Here's when you add your choice of sauce. Turn down the heat. Pour in enough soy sauce to cover the bottom of the skillet and stir in a big glob of creamy peanut butter  --OR-- use Chinese Brown Sauce in the place of soy sauce. Because veggies are different sizes, just play around with measurements until your veggies are coated and the consistency is where you like it!
• Add heat...if you're not a wuss!
• Serve over cooked Basmati Rice and garnish with chopped peanuts.
• Enjoy!

NOTE: If using meat, cook in heated skillet, then set aside and add before serving

Chinese Brown Sauce

(Forks Over Knives... I've subbed in Molasses & Corn starch)

1/3 cup Low-sodium Soy Sauce

1/3 cup Vegetable Stock

1/4 cup Molasses

1 tablespoon Grated Ginger or Ginger Paste

2 cloves Garlic, peeled & minced

1-2 teaspoons (or more) Corn Starch, dissolved in cold orange juice (water or pineapple juice would work, too)

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. If there are any left-overs, serve with meal or store refrigerated in airtight container.

OK! Go Play with Your Food!

Tuesday Recipe: Red Lentil Dal

Love me some Indian cuisine! Especially love when it's inexpensive...like this recipe from friend, Chef Dilip. The first time meeting him was at the restaurant in Fortune Hotel in Calcutta / Kolkata, India, when he oversaw the five course menu for our small team of educators, ministers and businessmen. His Thai Kimchi was amazing, beautifully plated and had a heat intensity set at 5! Wow!

Snowed and iced-in with a bag of dry red lentils (only .70 cents at Walmart), I turned Chef Dilip on Facebook to see if he would mind providing a recipe for dal. Dal (meaning split) is a word for the ingredient and the final dish which is like a soup. Lentils are legumes like split peas and beans - high in nutrition!

Dilip fired back with what he deemed the most simple way to make dal! I only had to make a minor adjustment with my ingredients resulting in a dish that warmed my soul and tummy!

Red Lentil Dal

1 lb. pkg  Dry Red Lentils (on the beans and rice aisle at your grocer)
1 teaspoon Turmeric (soooo good for your body)
1 tablespoon Mustard Oil (I purchased mine at an Indian grocer, but have since seen at the grocery store)
1-2 Onions, chopped or diced
1-2 Garlic cloves, chopped/minced
1 Dried, Whole Red Chili Pepper
S&P, to taste
Garnish with diced tomatoes and cilantro (in India, it's called coriander)
Basmati Rice, cooked

• First, boil the lentils in water, which cook in a matter of 7-10 minutes. I prefer a more solid lentil --almost al dente-- to start with because there will be additional cooking time where the lentils begin to cook down into more of a pulp.
• Add turmeric and mustard oil.
• I jumped the gun and sautéd my onions, first, but you can simply dice and add to the lentils with the chopped garlic.
• Here's where I had to make an adjustment. I didn't have a dried, whole red chili pepper ...nor crushed or paste, but I did have a small can of Green Chilies. I diced and added to the mixture.
• Also, I did not have fresh cilantro to garnish, so I added a couple of teaspoons of ground coriander with the turmeric. Don't tell Dilip, but I added a little bit of Garam Masala, because I love it!
• Serve over a helping of cooked, fragrant Basmati Rice and enjoy! Naan is a yummy flatbread, much like pita, you can dip into the broth!

Note: If you prefer a thinner or thicker dal, make the boiling water adjustment!

Play with your food!