This recipe is based on one from Deborah Madison’s The Greens Cook Book. I first made it 15 years ago and fell in love with it, so I’ve made it every single autumn since. For copyright and personal reasons, I’ve adapted it to suit our family size and allergies, so I don’t provide exact amounts, though I’ve put some notes at the end of the recipe that might be helpful.

Ingredients: 

cumin seeds
oregano

sesame seeds

sunflower seeds
hemp seeds

chili powder 

olive oil
chopped onions
minced garlic 

Veggies cut into bite-sized pieces:
mushrooms
squash (I used butternut)
cauliflower

stock or water

canned hominy
diced tomatoes, fresh or canned (optional)

peas (fresh or frozen)

chopped cilantro
dairy free yogurt (optional)

Instructions:

Separately toast cumin seeds, oregano, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds in dry skillet until fragrant (careful not to burn the oregano!!). 

Combine cumin seeds and oregano and grind to a fine powder either in a mortar and pestle or a spice/coffee mill. 

Grind seeds separately and set aside.

Heat oil in large casserole, add onions and saute until limp. Add garlic, cumin and oregano, and chili powder, stirring well. Add squash, mushrooms, and salt to taste, and several cups of water or stock (doesn’t have to cover the veggies).

Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook just until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Add more liquid if necessary. You want a thick stew, but not dry.

Add ground up seeds, cauliflower, hominy, and tomatoes. Adjust seasoning with salt and more chili powder. Cook a few more minutes, then add peas and chopped cilantro. Serve hot. Diners can enrich with yogurt if desired at the dinner table.

Notes:

The original recipe calls for almonds, but one of my kids is allergic to almonds, so I subbed sunflower seeds and hemp seeds. 

We have a large family, so I used a whole box of mushrooms from Costco, a LARGE butternut squash from our farm CSA, a whole head of cauliflower, 2 15-oz cans of hominy and a bunch of tomatoes also from the farm CSA.