CEPHALON COOKING SCHOOL TORONTO

I was at the checkout of my local grocery store and I saw a magazine by the bags. The cover stuck out as it obviously had some vegetable dish on the cover. I picked it up and took a look, it was "pumpkin curry". I said to myself, "I don't care, I am making this vegan". Turns out it was, almost. It just had some chicken stock which is easy enough to replace. The magazine had a couple other vegetarian recipes that I plan on making.

The pumpkin curry recipe is modified a bit, I didn't have pumpkin but I had pepper squash. Also, I love winter squashes but I hate peeling them, so I always roast them in the oven. Here is my modified recipe. I also added a couple more vegetables, because I like vegetables. I marked those as optional. Also, if you do not like hot, you can use 1 tbsp ginger and 2 tsp curry powder.

2 leeks, chopped (The recipes called for 1 onion and 1 cloves garlic, so, when I say leek in the instructions you can just add these if that's what you have on hand).
1 hot pepper, minced (optional).
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger (I keep my ginger in the freezer and grate it with a microplane as needed, no need to peel it).
2 green peppers, diced (optional).
2 carrots peeled and sliced thin (optional).
1 bunch of swiss chard, cut fine.
6 cups diced pumpkin, or whatever winter squash you like. Peeled and diced. It can be roasted before-hand if you're lazy like someone.
1 cup of chick peas soaked overnight and cooked, or drain and rinse a can of them.
4 tsp curry powder.
3 tbsp tomato paste.
1 1/2 cups VEGETABLE stock. Because vegetable stock trumps chicken stock in flavour.
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro.
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Place the leeks, hot pepper, ginger, and swiss chard in a large pot with 1 cup of water (or enough to barely cover), bring to a boil and cover completely, reducing the heat so it doesn't burn. After about 5 minutes, add the rest of the peppers, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, tomato paste, curry powder, chick peas, and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes (if you are cooking squash form raw, you might need to cook it a little longer). Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serve over brown basmati rice, or any brown rice you like.

The recipe suggests garnishing each bowl with cilantro, raisins and almonds. I thought "Ewwww" so I didn't go for that. I tried toasting the seeds form the squash, but I ruined it so I didn't have anything to add. I am not a fan of raisins so they didn't make the cut. The amounts were 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup raisins.

From April's Fine Cooking Magazine. With caramelized parsnip chips, dressed in a parsley-lemon butter. Aoili is topped with gluten free bread crumbs.