Festive Pumpkin Stew

Ingredients

2 cups veggie broth

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

1 tsp. garlic, minced

2 tsp. chili powder

2 bay leaves

1 ½ tsp. ground oregano

Fresh ground black pepper

1 cup celery, diced

3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1- 15 oz. can of corn (frozen or fresh would be fine too)

2 yams, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks

1- 10 oz. bag whole pearl onions

1- 4oz. can chopped green chilies

8 oz. seitan, cut into bite sized pieces

1- 4lb. pumpkin

2 TBSP. pure maple syrup

For the stew

1. Place ¼ cup broth in a large stock pot.

2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic.

3. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, and black pepper.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

5. Add remaining broth, corn, yams, onions, chilies, and seitan.

6.  Cook covered, over a low heat for 30 minutes.

For the pumpkin

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the pumpkin by cutting off the top, as if you were going to make a jack-o-lantern.

2. Set top aside.

3.  Remove seeds and stringy portion.

4. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with maple syrup and place the top back on.

5.  Place the pumpkin in a 9 x 12 baking dish with one inch of water at the bottom.

6.  Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven.

7. Ladle the stew you made earlier into the pumpkin, replace the pumpkin top and bake for another 45 minutes.

8.  Serve from the pumpkin, scooping out bits of pumpkin along with the stew.

9.  Serve in a large bowl with some bread if desired.