Freechiuli

Spicy, tasty and easy to make. Hearty food for warm and cold weather (Rcp# 24)

Ingredients for ‘Freechiuli’

• 300g Hokkaido pumpkin (without skin)
• 300 g mixed root vegetables (e.g. red beets, carrots, parsnips, kohlrabi, beetroot…)
• 150 g red lentils
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 ripe banana
• 3 – 5 dried tomatoes (salted, both halves), cut into small pieces
• 300 ml self-made broth
• 200 ml apple cider or mild rose wine (does not need to have alcohol)
• 10 fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
• 5 to 7 tender young ginger leaves (from ginger root in garden or balcony planters), roughly chopped or 2 teaspoons ginger in oil
• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs in oil
• 1 – 2 teaspoons bear’s garlic in oil (depending on how much you love garlic)
• 2 tablespoons oat yogurt
• ½ teaspoon dried ginger powder
• ½ – 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• ½ teaspoon salt

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Cooking Instructions for ‘Freechiuli’

1. Clean (wash or brush) all ingredients. Coarsely chop the leaves (mint and possibly ginger) with a cradle knife. Cut the Hokkaido squash flesh into 2 cm cubes. Cut mixed beets and turnips into cubes about one-fourth the size (small). Cut dried tomatoes into small pieces. Mash avocado and banana (separately).
2. Heat broth in a large saucepan. Add diced beets and lentils. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the diced squash and tomato bits. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until the squash cubes are almost done but still have a little “bite”.
4. Add mashed avocado, chopped mint and ginger leaves (or ginger in oil), mixed herbs in oil, cider, dried ginger, salt, caraway and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove.
5. Add bear’s garlic in oil and mashed banana, then stir well. Fold in oat yogurt and serve.

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Side Notes:

• This is a recipe for those of you who do not like or should not eat chili/pepper and other very hot spices (like me). If you want a little more zip, you can add a pinch more of that ginger powder.
• Yes, the name: Actually, this dish reminds me of a pub on one of the islands up in the North Sea that was famous for its chili. I used to go there a lot. But these days I cannot eat spicy food – and I no longer eat meat. This is pretty close to the original mouth feel and taste (with less bloating ;-)). Since it doesn’t have any chili in it (so it’s ‘chili-free’), but is the reinvention of this classic dish, it needed a name to indicate that.
• For the broth, you can use any homemade [‘Vegetable Broth‘] or the leftover cooking water (from spelt, kohlrabi, and sweet potatoes) from the [‘Blueberry Spy Pot‘]. I know it works because I did it when I invented the recipe.