Saturday Comfort Food

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon, the mundane chores are done for the day and I'm home alone-perfect for cooking up a storm. I've always had a passion for food and cooking, since becoming vegetarian fourteen years ago I have developed this even more so. The decision was a no brainer on many levels. Humans treat our animal friends in such terrible manner for their own gains. Disgusting treatment in and outside of abattoirs, product testing, accelerated growth, destruction of land masses for grazing the list goes on. It was a choice I am proud to say that I committed to for the rest of my being.

Now people hear vegetarian and think tofu and mung beans, yeah sure they both form part of the diet but really?! Over the course of time the introduction and availability of different fruits, vegetables and grains has opened up a wealth of new foods to tantalise the taste buds, quinoa, pomegranates, a dozen different types of mushrooms, the catalogue of asian greens-vegetarian paradise. All of this has prompted me to share some of my favourite receipes to highlight that vegetarians don't just eat chickpeas and rice.

I'm starting of with two basics, it's raining and I feel like comfort food.

Roasted pumpkin and garlic dip
0.3kilo of butternut pumpkin, diced
2 cloves of garlic-husk on
0.5 cup of Greek yoghurt-not that low fat stuff either
0.5 tsp of cumin
Pepper to taste.
Handful of fresh coriander

Dice the pumpkin and lightly coat with olive oil. Roast the pumpkin and garlic until soft until the edges become slightly crispy. Leave to cool. Once cooled remove the husk of the garlic and place in a bowl with the pumpkin. Using a potato masher, mash until the pumpkin has broken down however still maintains some texture. Add the remaining and combine. Notice salt is omitted from this receipe however you can add if you think it needs it-I don't.
Serve with toasted flat pita bread.