Ahh, fall. A season of transition. Leaves to be raked, snow tires to be changed, not a chill to the winter, but a nip to the air. Yes fall is in full effect for most of the United States......Except in California, where it is perpetually 70 degrees and sunny. However, we still
have access to fall produce such as the archetypal halloween pumpkin, and
the variety of cooking options it provides. So today I decided I would attempt to make a pumpkin lentil stew, both items being rather plentiful at this time
of year.
The Items you will need for this dish include:
-1lb worth of pumpkin, -1 cup of green/brown lentils,
-olive oil (i used harissa infused, but any ol olive oil will work)
garlic, onions, cumin, paprika, turmeric, parsely, coriander, salt, pepper, sugar, tomato puree
The first thing to do is to rinse the lentils in a sieve, then toss em in a pot and cover with water. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer over a LOW heat for 20 minutes.
Now a watched pot never boils, so while you let the lentils do their thing, it's time to crack open that pumpkin! Scalp it, seed it, and cut the gourdy flesh from the rind. The best
way to do this is with a SHARP knife and by cutting the pumpkin first into long wedges then slashing off the rind
Next, with your knife dripping in pumpkin flesh, hack up the tomatoes into tiny pieces and set them aside. If by some chance the lentils still are not done, you can set
aside the spices you will use like so: 1/2 tsp each of cumin, turmeric, cayenn
e pepper and sugar, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp chopped parsely, and 2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
With all your prep work done, it's time to start cooking! On medium-low heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 of harissa if you have it or more olive oil if you dont and throw in a handful of onions and garlic. When the onion starts to soften, throw in the cumin, turmeric and cayenne pe
pper.
Cook the above for 30 seconds, then add the paprika, tomato, 4tsp of tomato paste, the sugar, parsely, coriander, and salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, add the lentils and pumpkin pieces to the pan, stir it all up to coat it evenly and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. If you are worried about the lentils burning, periodically add a small amt of vegetable stock to the pan
As my father used to say, Voila (voy-la for those
wishing to mimic the Dr J family accent). A hearty pumpkin stew
Now there would be no point in being Chef M.D. if I didnt extol at least a LITTLE bit of the health benefits of pumpkin.
Prostate: Guys, shoving your fist into a pumpkin filled with unknown goop can be somewhat less than pleasant. Its the equivalent of a pumpkin prostate exam. But good news! Studies have shown that a diet rich in lycopenes and carotenoids may just decrease the risk of prostate cancer, while animal studies have demonstrated some affect in alleviating the difficulty with urination that is often related to an enlarged (whether cancerous or simply benign) prostate
Anti Parasitic: Halloween is all about the creepy crawlies, but the last place you want them is creepy-crawling inside YOU. Luckily, early studies have again shown some effect in treating parasitic infections such as tapeworms with pumpkin seeds. Now whether or not you want to toss back 73 pumpkin seeds every time you think you have an intestinal trick or treater is debatable, but it certainly couldnt hurt!
Please leave your feedback on how you liked the recipe and or layout of the site. It may take me some time til I find a format that works for everyone
-Dr J.
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Disclaimer: should you suffer from any real medical condition, please go visit your doctor. While I will back up any and all food-health related claims I make with at least one study, there is no guarantee of how extensive or reliable the study is, and these recipes, while delicious, are no substitute for real medicine, only supplements to encourage healthy living/eating.
Additionally, while you are always welcome to ask any questions of me, do not constitute anything I say on this site as legitimate medical advice. While I claim to be a doctor, you have no proof that I am not a yak herder deep in the Andes with access to medical textbooks and a whole foods market. It is YOUR responsibility to talk to a real, in person, licensed physician if there is something you feel is not working the way it should
