Meatless Monday: Moroccan Pumpkin Stew

Welcome to Meatless Monday, a column in the spirit of the Meatless Monday initiative, which promotes going without meat one day a week to reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

Here we'll share favorite recipes in which vegetables are the main attraction. Today's healthy recipe is a perfect meatless autumnal meal:

Moroccan Pumpkin Stew

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 6 small potatoes, well-scrubbed but not peeled, cut in half
• 1-1/2 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1-1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-1/2 cups canned tomato, chopped
• 1 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp raisins
• 1 preserved lemon (optional garnish)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrot, potato, and pumpkin and saute for 5-10 minutes, stirring from time to time. When vegetables have softened, add the ginger and garlic. Continue to saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and cinnamon stick. Cook for another 5-8 minutes, then add the canned tomato and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, then add the raisins. Allow to cook for 18-25 minutes until all vegetables are soft – but don’t overcook.

2. Just before serving, cut the preserved lemon into thin wedges and add as a garnish (this is optional but if you can locate it, the unique flavor of preserved lemon is worth trying).

3. You can present this stew with some warm pita bread on the side – or serve it over a bed of couscous or rice pilaf. Want to add more interest to the dish? Try spiking the rice pilaf with some chopped apricots or slivered almonds. Note that the nutritional information below is for a serving of stew only. It doesn’t include the rice or couscous.