Woah! It’s Halloween! Man, October flew by and here we are on the threshold of another holiday season. Being a new homeowner, I am attempting to add more and more personal touches to make our house feel like a home. One of my favorite Halloween decorations I made were these luminaries to light the path of the trick or treaters in our neighborhood. Super easy, super cute. Thanks, Southern Living, you’re a pal.

As tempting as it was to post a sweet dish on here for Halloween, I figure you’ll get enough of them in the upcoming holiday season. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll definitely want to come back here in December. We have big plans, folks, big plans. Anyhow, we’ll continue with a mouth watering seasonal savory dish today!

We posted a version of this recipe long ago, but after rereading it, all I wanted to do was revise it. Now, the cooking time is shortened, the ingredient list is shorter, and the culinary skills are way more logical. It’s like a new, healthier, tastier version of what you may have seen previously on this site.

This is a great recipe for using those darling little pie pumpkins you are decorating with for fall. A bonus: this recipe is paleo friendly, vegan, and sugar free! It only takes a few hours in the crock pot, so it’s perfect if you get home in the afternoons (like me) from work. Enjoy, Happy Halloween, and we’ll chat again real soon!

Pumpkin Curry
Prep Time: 60 min. (includes roasting the pumpkin) Cook Time: 3-4 hours

Ingredients:

2 whole pie pumpkins
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 onion, sliced in half moons
2 cups baby carrots, halved
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
14-oz. lite coconut milk
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 lime, juiced

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

On a sturdy cutting board, remove the stem of two pumpkins, and slice pumpkins lengthwise. Dispose of pumpkin seeds and strings. Cut each half again lengthwise, and place the eight pieces of pumpkin on two baking sheets. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast pumpkin in the oven for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool and peel off the pumpkin skin using a knife. Cut pumpkin into 1″ cubes. Place cubed roasted pumpkin pieces in the crock pot.

Meanwhile, prepare the curry. In a medium sized skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Once hot, add onion and carrots. Saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Then, add garlic and red curry paste. Simmer for another minute.

Transfer vegetable mixture to crock pot on “low” setting. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover crock pot with lid and cook for 3-4 hours on low.

Serve curry over cauliflower rice (one head of cauliflower, food processed and sauteed with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper), and top with fresh cilantro.

Serves 8

My husband is a really good cook. This might blow your mind, but he doesn’t write this blog. However, a majority of these recipes come from his genius mind. One of the things I love about Neil is his vision and ability to execute specific tasks in a unique and beautiful way. For example: tacos. I think, “Great, taco night. Let’s set up a bar of our favorite ingredients and go to town.” Neil, on the other hand, makes THESE. Even if you just make the sauce, it will launch your everyday tacos into orbit. It’s super spicy, so if you can’t handle the heat, just look at the pictures and skip this recipe. If you’re ready for a kick, keep reading.

We found the dried chili peppers at Whole Foods hanging up in the produce section by other dried spices. You can use a variety of peppers, but this time we tried chipotle and ancho peppers and it was a good combo.

Instead of flour, try white corn tortillas.

Heat them in a small skillet then wrap them in foil to keep them warm at the table.

I love the radishes in this recipe. The crunch is irresistible, and the zingy flavor pairs well with the spicy sauce.

Even though the ingredient list for this one is lengthy, it won’t take you too long to make these. Trust me, it’s worth the extra ingredients to make these gluten free wonders. Once you’ve had these tacos, you won’t go back to the ordinary.

Spicy Black Bean and Radish Tacos

Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 25 min.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 dried ancho pepper

2 dried chipotle peppers

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon cilantro stems, chopped

1/2 orange, juiced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake

1 teaspoon olive oil

For the tacos:

5 radishes, thinly sliced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 red pepper, sliced

1/2 white onion, sliced

1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 pinch red pepper flake

1 pinch chili powder

1 clove garlic, minced

8 small white corn tortillas

Preparation:

Heat four cups of water in a kettle. In a small bowl, pour water over the peppers to rehydrate. After 30 minutes, bring hydrated peppers to a cutting board, but reserve the water. On a cutting board, remove pepper stems, and scrape out seeds. Slice peppers and place in a small food processor.

Add 1/4 cup of the water with the white vinegar, oil, and orange juice and blend in food processor. Scrape sides and add garlic, cilantro stems, salt, pepper, chili powder, and red pepper flake. Continue to blend until smooth. Add more water until it reaches desired consistency. Set sauce aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté red peppers and onion slices for about a minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add the black beans to the pan, along with the red pepper flake and chili powder. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and 1/4 cup water from the peppers and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Bring a separate small skillet to high heat. Add one white corn tortilla shell, and cook for 2 minutes per side until warm and spots are beginning to brown. Or, place on a cookie sheet under the broiler until lightly charred. Place shells in a foil pocket to keep warm at the table.

Serve tortilla shells with fresh cilantro, radishes, black bean mixture, and spicy sauce.

Makes 8 tacos