Spicy Fall Stew Baked in a Pumpkin

Name: Spicy Fall Stew Baked in a Pumpkin Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 TBS olive oil divided; 1 medium onion diced (1 cup); 1 red bell pepper cut into 1-inch dice; 3 cloves garlic minced (2-3 tsp); 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp ground cumin; .5 tsp dried oregano; .5 lb tomatillos husked washed and quartered (1.5 cups); 1 15 oz can hominy rinsed and drained; .75 tsp salt; 1 3-4 lb pumpkin. Remove top and reserve. Remove seeds and stringy pulp.; 2 oz grated (extra) sharp Cheddar cheese (.5 cup packed); I bump up the quantity of spices and added 1 chile serrano minced plus a good sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

Minutes to Prepare: 20
Minutes to Cook: 150

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 TBS olive oil, divided1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice3 cloves garlic, minced (2-3 tsp)1 tsp cayenne pepper1 tsp ground cumin.5 tsp dried oregano.5 lb tomatillos, husked, washed, and quartered (1.5 cups)1 15 oz can hominy, rinsed and drained.75 tsp salt1 3-4 lb pumpkin. Remove top and reserve. Remove seeds and stringy pulp.2 oz grated (extra) sharp Cheddar cheese (.5 cup packed)I bump up the quantity of spices and added 1 chile serrano, minced, plus a good sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and serrano, if using. Saut� 7 minutes, or until softened. Stir in cayenne, cumin, and oregano, and cook 3 minutes more, or until spices darken.
2. Add tomatillos, hominy, .5 cup of water or vegetable stock, and salt. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, 10-12 minutes, or until tomatillos are softened. Uncover, and cook about 5 minutes more to thicken stew, if necessary.
3. Meanwhile, cut top of pumpkin around to make a lid. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and stringy pulp. Rub inside of pumpkin with remaining 1 TBSP olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese in bottom of pumpkin.
4. Fill pumpkin with stew, then top with pumpkin lid. Place on parchment paper in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until pumpkin flesh is fork-tender. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.
5. Scoop stew, including pumpkin flesh, into bowls and serve hot.

Serving Size: serves 6, 1 1/2 cup servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TWILAQ1.

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving