Halloween Food – Moroccan Pumpkin & Chickpea Stew – 19 Ingredients

Diverging from traditional Halloween Food Cuisine, this tasty Stew, that is a bit like a pumpkin stir fry contains spice and zest. An excellent dish with rice the taste of pumpkin will let you know its October. The spices of cumin, coriander, and cinnamon – along with the sweet taste of raisins will leave you wanting more! And I add extra raisins just because I like the extra sweet taste.

Halloween Food: Pumpkin & Chickpea Stew – Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or 1/4 cup water (for water saute)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch knob of ginger, grated or minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
• good pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 small sugar pumpkin (about 3-4 cups), cubed (or butternut squash)
• 1 can (28 oz) stewed tomatoes
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 cans (15oz), drained and rinsed
• 3 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1/4 cup raisins (I used golden) – (I used extra raisins also)
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• few large handfuls baby kale or spinach (chopped whole ok too)
• lemon or lime wedges, to serve
• cilantro, to garnish

Halloween Food: Pumpkin & Chickpea Stew Directions

Pumpkin: Prepare your pumpkin by slicing it in half, removing seeds with a spoon and slice halves into quarters. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the hard skin. Alternatively, turn slices on their sides and carefully sheer the hard skin off from top to bottom. Cube into 1 inch pieces.

Sauté: In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and spices, cook another minute or until fragrant.

Simmer: Add carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, chickpeas, broth/water, good pinch of salt and raisins, bring to a boil, over, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork tender.

Add spinach: Add in greens of choice and cook until wilted. Taste for seasoning adding salt, pepper or any other additional spices or raisins.

Serve: In individual serving bowls, spoon stew over a grain of choice – rice, quinoa or couscous work well here. Top with cilantro and squeeze of lemon/lime. Pairs great with a piece of vegan naan.

Serves 4-6

Store: Leftovers are even better and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2-3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator.

Enjoy this Halloween Food!

October’s Call – Ed Blair

Do you ever in the fall,
Hear the sighing woodland’s call,
When the frosts of autumn turn the leaves to brown?
Do you ever feel a thrill,
Of delight in autumn’s chill,
When the deep, dark shades of evening settle down?

Do you ever like to be,
Like the aborigine,
In a tent down in the woodland dark and wild,
Where the Hoot Owls with delight,
Chill with terror and affright,
Those who in their lonely haunts may be beguiled?

Do you love the camp fire’s light,
Sputtering, sparkling, burning bright,
Then receding as the dying of the day?
Do you love the lullabies,
Of the zephyrs as they rise,
And among the forest branches softly play?

Come, then, ’tis October calling,
And the ripened nuts are falling,
And we’ll build a booming campfire near the tent,
For the year is not complete,
If we miss October’s treat.
‘Tis the sweetest hour the year has sent.

Halloween by John Kendrick Bangs

Bring forth the raisins and the nuts –
To-night All Hallows’ Spectre struts
Along the moonlit way.
No time is this for tear or sob
Or other woes our joys to rob
But time for Pippin and for Bob
And Jack-o’-lantern gay.

Come forth, ye lass and trousered kid
From prisoned mischief raise the lid
And lift it good and high
Leave grave old Wisdom in the lurch
Set folly on a lofty perch
Nor fear the awesome rod of birch
When dawn illumes the sky.

‘Tis night for revel, set apart
To reillume the darkened heart
And rout the hosts of Dole.
‘Tis night when Goblin, Elf, and Fay
Come dancing in their best array
To prank and royster on the way
And ease the troubled soul.

The ghosts of all things past parade
Emerging from the mist and shade
That hid them from our gaze
And, full of song and ringing mirth
In one glad moment of rebirth
And again they walk the ways of earth
As in the ancient days.

The beacon light shines on the hill
The will-o’-wisps the forests fill
With flashes filched from noon;
And witches on their broomsticks spry
Speed here and yonder in the sky
And lift their strident voices high
Unto the Hunter’s Moon.

The air resounds with tuneful notes
From myriads of straining throats
All hailing Folly Queen;
So join the swelling choral throng
Forget your sorrow and your wrong
In one glad hour of joyous song
To honor Hallowe’en!

For More Info on Halloween, Follow this Link!

Halloween – Wikipedia

To Return to the Main Halloween Page, Follow this Link!

The All Halloween Website – (celebratehalloween.net)