Halloween Meal

This is our Halloween Meal Tradition. I seriously look forward to it all year. The hominy is soo delicious. And the salsa adds the perfect balance. All recipes and photos from vegetariantimes.com

Spicy Fall Stew Baked in a Pumpkin

• 1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
•  2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. chili powder, preferably New Mexican
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered (1½ cups)
• 1 15-oz. can hominy, rinsed and drained
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 3- to 4-lb. pumpkin, either sugar pie, cheese, red kuri, kabocha, or buttercup squash
• 2 oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese (½ cup packed)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 7 minutes, or until softened. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and cook 3 minutes more, or until spices darken.

2. Add tomatillos, hominy, ı/2 cup water, and salt. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, 10 to 12 minutes, or until tomatillos are softened. Uncover, and cook 5 minutes more to thicken stew, if necessary.

3. Meanwhile, cut top of pumpkin around stem to make lid. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and strings. Rub inside of pumpkin with remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle generously with salt. Sprinkle cheese in bottom of pumpkin.

4. Fill pumpkin with stew, then top with pumpkin lid. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet and bake 1ı/2 to 2 hours, or until pumpkin flesh is fork-tender. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

5. Scoop stew, including pumpkin, into bowls and serve hot, topped with Poblano-Cucumber Salsa 

Poblano-Cucumber Salsa

• ½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small dice
• 1 poblano chile
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbs. lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ripe avocado, diced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to broil. Roast poblano chile 15 to 20 minutes, or until skin is blackened, turning occasionally. Cool until easy to handle. Remove charred skin, discard seeds and stem, and cut into small dice. Combine poblano, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, and salt in small bowl. Gently fold in avocado. Season with salt and pepper.

And for DESSERT:We buy pre-made chocolate pudding and top it with this yummy pumpkin cream.

Whipped Pumpkin Cream

• 1 15-oz. can pumpkin
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• To make Whipped Pumpkin Cream: 

  
  

  1. Cook pumpkin and brown sugar with cinnamon in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl, and cool to room temperature.

  2.. Whip cream in stand mixer or with handheld beaters on medium-high, until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Fold whipped cream into pumpkin until no streaks remain. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve pudding dolloped with pumpkin cream.