Eggplant and Squash Curry

4-6 servings - Prep time: 30 min - Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 or 4 plum tomatoes, or 1 can diced tomatoes

1-1 1/4 lbs kuri, pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Nutmeg

2 small red bell peppers, seeded, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 small onions, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and grated

1-1 1/4 lb eggplant,  diced into bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp West Indian curry powder

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 cup mango chutney

2 cups chicken stock

Red rice

1 lime, zest and juice

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

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For fresh tomatoes

• Score skin with a sharp knife in an X on the bottom of each tomato.
• Place tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water bath to cool.
• Peel, halve and slice tomatoes and reserve. 

For the sauce

• Preheat the oven to 425 degree F.
• Toss the squash with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Arrange squash on baking sheet and roast 25-30 minutes, until tender and brown at edges. 

• Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet with tight fitting lid. 
• Add the peppers, onion, garlic, ginger and season with salt and pepper. 
• Sauté  vegetables for a few minutes.
• Add eggplant, curry, chili  powder and cardamom.
• Stir to combine, cover and cook 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until eggplant is tender.
• Stir in squash, tomatoes, chutney and stock.

Before serving

• Cook rice, adding lime zest to water.
• Add lime juice and scallions when rice is cooked. 

• Serve curry on rice with extra chutney if wanted.

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From www.foodnetwork.com

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

8-10 servings - Prep time: 60 min - Cook time: 90 min

Dough ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
about 6 Tbsp ice water

Filling ingredients:
1 fresh pumpkin or butternut squash or 1 can of pure pumpkin
3/4 cup golden brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch ground cloves
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

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Dough

• Mix flour, sugar and slat in a food processor.
• Add butter, pulse until coarse meal forms.
• Gradually add enough ice water to form moist clumps
• Gather dough into ball, divide in half, form 2 balls and flatten them into disks. 
• Wrap in plastic, chill for 2 hours or over night. 

Pumpkin puree

• Preheat over and 350ºF/175ºC.
• Cut the cleaned squash into quarters and place them rind down in a baking dish.
• Bake for 45-60 minutes until flesh is very soft. 
• Scrape of the flesh and whiz through a food processor until smooth.

Crust

• Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC.
• Cool dough on floured surface to the size of your glass pie dish.
• Transfer dough to dish, fold edges under and crimp. 
• Line crust with foil or parchment paper, fill with dry rice.
• Bake fo 15 minutes. 
• Remove foil or parchment paper and rice. 
• Bake until edges are light gold, about 7 minutes. 
• Reduce over temperature to 350ºF/175ºC.
• Cool for 10 minutes.

Pie

• Puree pumpkin in processor. Add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and cloves.
• Add eggs, one at a time, pulsing after each addition. 
• Gradually add cream, processing just until blended, process 5 seconds longer.
• Pour filling into crust.
• Bake until edges are puffed and center is set about an hour. 
• Cool completely. Cover and chill.  

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From www.bonappetit.com and www.thekitchn.com