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By Root 848 0

has got it all. Plus it’s a gorgeous orange color! I’m not crazy about peeling butternut squash (who is?) and so I roast it in the oven, thus the long cooking time with lots of downtime. Try it; you’ll see how convenient it is! Just roast away while the rice is cooking; it should take about the same time and once that’s done everything will come together in a snap.

I love the aroma of brown basmati rice here, but you can use whatever rice you like best. Serve with Pineapple Collards (page 93) and Broiled Blackened Tofu (page 147).

1 cup brown basmati rice

2 cups water

A pinch of salt

2 pounds butternut squash

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 cup sliced shallot

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lime zest

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup light coconut milk

¼ to ½ cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

First, preheat the oven to 400°F (for the squash) and cook your rice according to the package directions, or however you prefer to cook rice. I rinse the rice and then add it to a 2-quart pot along with the water and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately lower the heat as low as it will go and cook for about an hour.

For the squash, slice off the bulbous part. Slice in half lengthwise, exposing the seeds. Scoop the seeds out with a tablespoon. Slice the long part of the squash in half lengthwise as well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the squash face down on the sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes. Once it’s soft enough to pierce with a fork, remove it from the oven and let it cool. (Place it outside to cool if possible; that’ll speed things up.) When the squash is cool enough to handle, proceed with the recipe.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallot in the oil, using a little nonstick cooking spray if needed, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, lime zest, red pepper flakes, and salt, and sauté for another 2 minutes. Turn down the heat to low.

Scoop the flesh out of the squash and add it to the pan, along with the coconut milk. Use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the butternut into a creamy consistency. Add the rice and stir well. Add ¼ cup of the vegetable broth and mix well. You can add up to another ¼ cup of broth to get a creamier consistency if you like. Add the lime juice, taste for salt, and serve!

TIP

If you want a little more coconutty goodness, you can add a tablespoon of toasted coconut to each finished serving. It lends lots of flavor and texture, if you have some extra time and calories burning a hole in your pocket.

To toast coconut, preheat a large pan over low heat and place 6 tablespoons of shredded (unsweetened!) coconut in the pan. Stir often. The coconut will start to toast and turn a few shades darker. It should take about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately.

Eggplant Kibbeh

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 25 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(⅙ RECIPE):

Calories: 130

Calories from fat: 15

Total fat: 1.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 28 g

Fiber: 9 g

Sugars: 4 g

Protein: 5 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 400 mg

Vitamin A: 15%

Vitamin C: 20%

Calcium: 6%

Iron: 10%

If you look up kibbeh in Wikipedia, you’ll find a million different variations, shapes, and definitions. But perhaps you aren’t a nerd who immediately looks things up on Wikipedia and then doubts its validity, so I will just tell you this: kibbeh, as I know it, is a Lebanese dish of bulgur, mixed with usually mushy veggies (the vegan versions of kibbeh, at least), spices, and mint. It goes fabulously with a Mediterranean meze, so break out the hummus for this one.

1 cup bulgur, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced finely

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ cup fresh chopped mint, plus extra for garnish

First, prepare the