Pumpkin and Mushroom Stew

Tis' the season for warm stews and soups. This post and the next one are stews done over the weekend. As usual, my recipes are not for purists, but just everyday take on good food inspired by eating out, reading or just a flight of fantasy. Don't follow strict recipes, but cook with what's at hand, trying to recreate flavours with what I have, can be done easily, is cost-effective. This one was inspired by a lovely Pumpkin Soup with Truffle Oil from the al Nahda Resort last month. Unable to locate truffle oil in Muscat, I substituted with sesame oil. Not a bad outcome, I would say.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• Pumpkin- 150 gm, diced
  
• Mushrooms- 4 large, chopped
• White Onion- 1/4 chopped
• Pepper- 1 tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Sesame Oil- 1 tsp

Preparation (25 mins):

Microwave chopped pumpkin, white onions in 3cups of water at a high setting for 10  mins. Add pepper, salt, chopped mushrooms. Microwave for 5 mins on high. Add in sesame oil and microwave for a further 5 mins.

Serve hot with bread rolls. If you want you could add a dollop of butter for taste. (Was so hungry that I started eating before I realized I had to take a pic of the finished stew. :) )

Veggie Bake

Quick dinner recipe for the nights you really don't feel like something heavy.


Ingredients (Serves 2):

• Eggplant- 3 small, tender, thinly sliced
• Zucchini- 4 small, thinly sliced
• Pumpkin- 100 gm, thinly sliced
• Mushrooms- 6 button mushrooms, sliced
• Olive oil- 2 tbsp
• Basil- 1 tsp
• Black pepper- 1/2 tsp, coarsely crushed
• Oregano- 1 tsp
• Salt- to taste

Preparation ( 1 hr 10 mins):

Layer veggies in a baking dish starting with eggplants on bottom, followed by zucchini, pumpkin and mushrooms. Sprinkle salt, basil, oregano, pepper and olive oil. Wrap dish in foil. Pop into pre-heated oven at 135 C for 1 hr.














 

 Serve hot.
 

Tips:

•  If you want to make it a bit more savory you could crumble in a little Roquefort into the mix.