Grilled Pumpkin Steaks with Red Pepper Coulis

Autumn is my favorite season. I always look forward to the change of colors in the New England trees, but I also anticipate fall foods, especially pumpkins. I ate pumpkin as a child once or twice a year, and mostly in pie form: for Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas) my Aunt Roxie baked a delicious, smooth pumpkin pie. And my mother sometimes made pumpkin cookies. Of course, they used canned pumpkin, and it wasn’t until I started cooking pumpkin in other forms that I discovered the radical upgrade in taste and texture gained by used freshly cooked pumpkin in pies.

Game changer.

But this is not about pumpkin pie! This is about an amazing way to eat pumpkin which capitalizes on the flavor and texture of fresh pumpkin while merging it with other foods to make a really terrific savory entree. And it’s vegan!

Selecting a Pumpkin

When choosing a pumpkin for cooking, go for smaller “pie” pumpkins. The larger ones, especially those used for carving jack-o-lanterns, are too watery and not great for eating. Ideally, choose one that weighs about two pounds and has firm flesh.

Recipe

Ingredients

For the pumpkin steaks:

1 Small pumpkin (approximately 2 lbs.)
Olive oil
Finely ground Cumin
Salt
Pepper

For the Red Pepper Coulis:

1 Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1 Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Preserved lemon, finely chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
Chives, finely chopped

Additional Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can Black Beans
Toasted Pepitas
1 Cup uncooked Quinoa, cooked as recommended (Or substitute your favorite grain, like millet, rice, or wheat berries.)
Salsa Lizano

Instructions

1. Peel pumpkin and cut in half. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and any stringy fibers. (For later snacking, toss pumpkins seeds with some olive oil and toast in a preheated 350°F oven until golden and some of the seeds begin to pop. These are not the pumpkin seeds you’ll use to top the pumpkins steaks; you’ll use green hull-less pepitas.
2. Slice the pumpkin into relatively flat wedges. They’ll have some curves to them but will flatten out if you cook the pumpkin on an electric grill or panini press.
3. Generously rub the pumpkin wedges with olive oil and a good coating of ground cumin. This can be done several hours in advance to let the pumpkin absorb the flavor of the cumin.
4. Meanwhile, make the coulis by combining the chopped red pepper, red onion, preserved lemon, tomato, and chives in a large bowl. I sometimes drizzle a little olive oil into the coulis. Stir and let macerate for an hour or two.
5. Make the Pepitas: Preheat oven to 350°F. Scatter as many pepitas as you like into a single layer on a rimmed baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and use your fingers to make sure all the pepitas are coated with oil. Bake the pepitas until they are toasted and show signs of slight browning. Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse salt. Set aside.
6. Prepare the quinoa (or other grains) according to their instructions and set aside. They can be reheated in the microwave if needed.
7. Prepare the black beans by draining them in a colander and rinsing thoroughly. Place in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the Salsa Lizano. I use about 3 Tablespoons, but you can adjust to your taste. You can omit the Salsa Lizano, but it adds a beautiful flavor profile to your beans.
8. When you’re ready to make the pumpkin steaks, heat an electric grill or panini press to high temperature. I have not grilled the steaks on an outdoor grill, but it’s worth trying!
9. Place the pumpkin steaks on the hot grill. Drizzle a little more olive oil on them and sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper.
10. Cook until the steaks are tender when pierced with a fork. The time will vary depending on your grill and the thickness of the steaks.
11. To assemble, spread a layer of grains on a plate and top with several of the pumpkin steaks. Spoon black beans on the steaks and top with a generous amount of coulis. Sprinkle with toasted pepitas and serve immediately.

Notes

The proportions for the coulis are relative and variable. It works without tomato. Parsley can be substituted for chives. If you don’t have preserved lemon, you can use a vegetable peeler to remove a thin layer of lemon skin (no pith) and slice the lemon skin into slivers or finely chop it, as you prefer. The taste will not be the same as using preserved lemon, but it’s still good.

Here’s a downloadable and printable version of the recipe:

Lindel Hart teaches yoga online for PerfectFit Wellness. He lives in Western Massachusetts and teaches at Deerfield Academy, a private residential high school, as well as at Community Yoga and Wellness in Greenfield, MA. Visit his website, Hart Yoga.