Warm Winter Foods

Okay, folks, I'm just going by my memory here. If you'd like to try these, I know that you may alter some of the ingredients to your liking. That's how I cook, so of course, go ahead. Well, earlier in the week, I bought a large butternut squash, and it sat in my basket on the kitchen counter for a couple of days. Then on Wednesday, I got the urge to cook something in the crock pot and decided to make a squash stew. I peeled and cubed the squash, then decided to add some celery, onion, corn, great northern beans, and a variety of seasonings. I cooked all the ingredients in a light veggie broth. I added the corn and beans (which were precooked) during the last 20 minutes. The result was a delicious soup.

What's soup without bread? Well, since I had some pumpkin and some cornmeal in the pantry, I searched the web for recipes for pumpkin cornbread muffins. I came across several, but was not satisfied with any. So, I just took a few ideas from each and created my own recipe. I baked the batter in a glass, 9" x 9" cake pan. It turned out well.

Mom, my sister, and I each had two helpings. I don't think the men in the house cared for it. I ate some again tonight and still have some left over. I'm going to remember this meal and add it to my Veganishta Creations collection. This would be a warm and hearty meal for anyone on a cold winter's eve.

Veganishta Squash & White Bean Soup
1 large butternut squash
1/3-1/2 of a large, white onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 large celery stalks, chopped
1-1/2 cups corn kernels
2 cups white beans (pre-cooked)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
Sea salt to taste
1/8 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. marjoram leaves
2 tbsp. veggie bouillon base
6 cups of water, or enough to cover the ingredients

Place all in crock pot (except corn and beans) and cook on high for three hours; then on low for one to two hours; add the corn and beans the last 15 minutes or half hour.

Veganishta Pumpkin Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (you can substitute your preferred sweetener)
1 tbsp cinnamon
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/4 cup almond milk

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into 9" x 9" cake pan or muffin pans of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve with Earth Balance butter--that's what I did!