Squash Stew

Even my boyfriend, who is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, gets excited when I make this dish. As an added bonus, this happens to be fit for a vegan. This pleases a broad range of diets and tastes. Peeling the squash is quite tricky, but I have found that a carrot peeler is the most useful tool for this job. Serve with pita bread.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr
• Calories: 257 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium acorn squash, peeled and diced
• 1 cup pinto beans, cooked or canned

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and chili powder and continue to saute for another 2 minutes. Mix in the garlic and cumin seeds, saute for 2 minutes more before adding lemon juice and the tomatoes. Mix thoroughly so the stew doesn't get too chunky.

Step 2

Stir the squash, pinto beans and water into the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the stew simmer for 1 hour, or until squash is tender. Stirring occasionally throughout the cooking hour, and add more water if necessary. The finished stew should have a nice, thick stewy texture.

Step 3

Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Place one piece of pita bread at a time into the skillet. When one side of the pita bread gets hot, flip the bread over and heat the other side; approximately 1 minute of cooking per side. Serve the stew with the heated pita bread.