As has been made pretty clear in the past, I really love pumpkin. We’re nearing the end of pumpkin season, so here’s another great (and very simple) vegan dinner featuring those wonderful gourds. It’s also an all-orange meal.
You’ll need:
2 sweet potatoes
1 medium pie pumpkin
Ginger
Mustard seed (optional)
Cider Vinegar
Bragg’s (or light soy sauce)
Olive oil
Cut up and seed your pumpkin, and peel your potato. Steam them in your microwave until they are soft (about 5 minutes for the potato and 15-20 for the pumpkin, unless you peel it first then less). If you didn’t already scoop the pumpkin from its shell, let it cool some and do that.
While those are cooking, mix your olive oil and cider vinegar in a glass – about 1/3 cup each. Mince as much ginger as you want in as well, and grind in a little bit of mustard. Add a splash of Bragg’s/soy, and maybe some white pepper if the mood strikes you. Emulsify the crap out of this.
Roughly mash your potato and pumpkin in a glass bowl. Now, beat in your dressing, and either (a) serve hot, or (b) chill and serve cold like potato salad.
I like it cold, but either way you’ve got a filling, delicious, and vegan dish loaded with orange goodness (vitamin A) and a nice sharp kick. Adding fresh Serrano peppers probably wouldn’t hurt either.

It’s been a while since Thanksgiving, and your leftover stuffing’s gone, leaving you craving a delicious starchy new form of starchy goodness for your plate. Here’s a really delicious suggestion.
This classic Bajan (that’s Barbados, kiddies, not Mexico) dish might be best described as ‘tropical grits,’ but that misses the point. Cou-cou is a wonderful foil for stronger-flavored foods like salt fish or grilled meat at any meal, or as a dish on its own if you like. It’s pretty good with a fried egg and hot sauce on top too.
You’ll need:
About 2 cups yellow (course) corn meal
About 3/4 lb. fresh okra, cleaned and cut
1 can of cocnut milk
Water
Salt, pepper, and any other spice you like
Butter
Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan, add salt, and add your okra. Cook that about 8 minutes, or until it’s almost soft enough for you, and use a slotted spoon to remove the okra to a bowl. Pour off half of the water, and return the rest to a boil. Now, beat in your cornmeal, making sure it gets all nice and wet. Once it is, begin beating in your coconut milk, plus another cup or so of water (or more milk if you prefer a stronger flavor). Mix in your spices, cover the saucepan, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cou-cou is done when a wooden spoon stands up when placed in the middle of the pot.
During cooking you may want to adjust quantities of milk, water, or even add more cornmeal … you can do that, but be careful that you don’t get dry patches or a soupy mix – that’s no fun! You can change up the flavor by adjusting how much coconut you use, and which and how much spice. Adding allspice might be tasty, or maybe try some herbs.
Serve right away, and store leftovers in tupperware in the fridge. To reheat, add a little bit of water and microwave gently.

This is a great, extremely simple fall dish, which requires very little attention while cooking, so you can pay attention to that delicious-looking vegetarian (or omnivore) you duped into coming for dinner. You’ll need:
1 medium pie pumpkin
1 (or more) Serrano pepper
1 medium bell pepper
1/2 a yellow squash
1 medium scallion
2 cloves garlic
Oil
Light soy sauce
White wine
Flour tortillas
Parmesan cheese
A date (that you’re not paying)
Before your date arrives, cut your pumpkin into quarters, remove the seeds (roast separately if you like), and roast it in the oven until about 3/4 done – some char, but still pretty firm. Let it cool while you dice your pepper, squash, scallions, and garlic. It’s still not cool enough yet; you might as well go take a shower so that you don’t stink so foully.
By the time your intended victim arrives, the pumpkin should be cool enough, so peel and cube it. You should probably pour drinks now too. You need all the help you can get.
Back in the kitchen, heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a large sauce pan on high, and set a sautée pan on another burner at medium heat with a splash of oil. Take time to make clever conversation. When the oil is very hot, add your Serranos and 3/4 of the scallions, frying for about 30 seconds. When your spices have fried enough, add half as much soy sauce as you added oil, letting all that reduce for another 30 seconds or so, and tossing some garlic into your sautée pan.
Now, add your bell pepper and squash, tossing briefly to get oil and garlic all over. Add your pumpkin to the large pan and put a loose-fitting lid on each vessel. Spend five minutes cleaning your workspace, you sloppy bastard: your date will be impressed with your conscientiousness. After that stir each of your dishes a few times and re-cover them. Use five more minutes to explain the videos you forgot to hide.
Come back to stir the pumpkin, and toss the remaining scallions in with the squash and peppers. Go pour more drinks and glare longingly for three minutes, then spend two more plating a couple of tortillas and sprinkling them with grated parmesan. The squash and peppers should be nice and caramelized now, so remove them to a bowl. Stir the pumpkin again and spend however much more time it needs to set the table. Make clever conversation the whole time, but remember to be yourself (unless you’re insufferable…ok, just be someone else).
When the pumpkin is nice and tender and falling apart, it’s done. Put it on your tortillas with some squash and pepper mix and then, while those relax and melt the cheese for a bit, deglaze your pumpkin pan with some white wine. The deglazing liquid makes a good sauce base, but really you’re only doing this to impress your date. Make sure the plume of steam is visible.
Serve your tacos with a basic salad in a vinegary dressing and a boutique beer. Also, make sure that your date drinks a lot, and you both have a breath-cleansing dessert.