Three Sisters Stew

Originally from:

https://www.vegkitchen.com/three-sisters-stew/#recipe

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash or sugar pumpkin, about 2 pounds; or use pre-cut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion medium, chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 bell pepper medium, green or red, cut into short narrow strips

14 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes canned, with liquid

2 ½ cups canned pinto beans drained and rinsed

2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen

1 cup vegetable stock or water

1 hot chili pepper fresh, seeded and minced; or substitute one 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder or mesquite seasoning, add more to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, fresh, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove stem from the pumpkin or squash and cut in half lengthwise. Cover with aluminum foil and place the halves, cut side up, in a foil-lined shallow baking pan. If your knives aren't sharp enough, just wrap the pumpkin or squash in foil and bake it whole. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until you can pierce through with a knife, with a little resistance.

When cool enough to handle, scrape out the seeds and fibers (clean the seeds for roasting, if you'd like). Slice and peel, then cut into large dice.

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.

Add the pumpkin or squash and all the remaining ingredients except the last 2, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, covered, until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If time allows, let the stew stand for 1 to 2 hours before serving, then heat through as needed. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro. The stew should be thick and very moist but not soupy; add additional stock or water if needed. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Scoop into bowls to serve.

Notes

For additional spice, use two hot chili peppers instead of one.

Hot Mama Grade: A 

Hot Mama Notes: I rather enjoyed this the sisters version. :) I originally was introduced to the sisters at a friend's house (her version is below). I wanted to have butternut squash and hominy together with a bean. I ended up going with 1 can white hominy, 1 can Golden hominy, 1 can pinto beans, and 1 can yellow or white eyed beans. I will have to check the can. They were labeled as heirloom, so I wanted to try them for something different. They were super yummy all by themselves! :) A good choice! Also, instead of baking my squash, I decided to do it whole (washed and pricked about 15x with a fork) in the crouching with some water for 4-6 hours on low. It worked marvelously! So must easier than having to cut a raw squash in half, clean out all the seeds, and microwave it forever(it was a very large squash!!). Also, much coolor than roasting it on the oven, and also avoids raw cutting.

But I digress. Back to 3 sisters. I did not use green pepper, as I did not have it. I used a very large white onion and 3 large cloves of garlic. I had no cilantro. I used the single small can of rice green chiles. I used 1.5 t of smoked paprika in lieu of chili powder which I don't love.  Smoked paprika is so delicious! I served this with a rotisserie chicken. Very tasty. Everyone liked it! 

Below is more about my friend's 3 sisters: 

I use dried pinto beans and dried hominy. The dried hominy is harder to fi d, but canned is common, and also fresh at Mexican groceries. I add an onion. And some baking soda to soften the skin on the beans and hominy.

Then, the 3rd sister, zucchini, I roast separately. Dried pinto beans in the instant pot. I usually keep the beans and hominy plain, and pair it with red/green chile (spicy) roast pork