The Mediterranean Vegan

This spicy pumpkin mash is full of flavor and very easy to make. It is served in Libya with flatbread. Serves 2-3 What you need: 2 cups pumpkin, peeled and chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin 1 red chili, chopped 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh black pepper In a pot, boil the chopped pumpkin for 10 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, sauté the garlic, cumin, salt, and chili in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat until the garlic has slightly browned. Strain the pumpkin and add to the pan with the garlic. Mash the pumpkin with a strong wooden spoon over medium heat. Mix in the fresh pepper, lemon juice, and 1 tbsp olive oil and serve while hot.

I needed something to do with my leftover pumpkin from "thanksgiving," so I made traditional risotto alla zucca . Risotto is a popular dish in Northern Italy, and there are several different ways to make it. You can also use butternut squash or another winter squash if you don't want to get a pumpkin. Serves 2-3 What you need: 2.5 tbsp margarine 1 onion, diced 1/2 cup white wine 2 cups cooked pumpkin, chopped (boiled or baked) 2 cups short-grain white rice 5 cups vegetable broth 1 tsp salt pinch of nutmeg In a deep pan, melt 1.5 tbsp margarine and add in diced onions. Sauté onions until clear and add dry rice to pan. Mix the rice in until the butter is absorbed into the grain. Now add the 1/2 cup white wine to the pan and stir until completely absorbed by the rice. Mix in the 2 cups pumpkin and 2 cups vegetable broth. Set a timer for 17 minutes. Stir until the broth has soaked into the rice. Keep adding vegetable broth, cup by cup, waiting for the broth to absorb and then...