Pumpkin Noodle Nut 

This dish uses one pumpkin in three forms: Cooked pumpkin puree, ground toasted pumpkin seeds, and fresh grated pumpkin. The recipe is highly adaptable depending upon your tastes. The following recipe is both vegan and gluten free making it perfects for potlucks and parties. This is a rough recipe made in potluck proportions, downsize or upsize depending on your needs. I make extra sauce and use it chilled as a dip or sandwich spread throughout the week. Can be served hot or cold.

4lb fresh pumpkin

2 pkgs rice vermicelli noodles

2 c. macadamia nuts and cashews

4 oz garlic chili paste

1/3 jar tahini

1/3 jar Almond butter

soy sauce to taste

chopped green onions

one to two fresh red cayenne peppers chopped or chilis of your choice

Steam 2lbs peeled pumpkin that has been chopped into 1” chunks

Wash seeds and pat dry. Toast on a cookie sheet until brown. Coarsely grate 1 lb of peeled raw pumpkin and set aside.

Boil packages of rice vermicelli noodles. When tender, rinse with cold water until needles are cooled, drain and set aside.

In a food processor, grind pumpkin seeds, ½ of the macadamia nuts and ½ of the cashews (or which ever you prefer.) You will be using some in the dish and some as a topping. Place in a bowl and put aside. Put the cooked pumpkin in the food processor container, pulse for a few seconds, add garlic chili paste, seed and nut butters, pulse until blended. Add shoyu (soy sauce) last. Add soy sauce sparingly to taste.

In a deep frying pan, tumble noodles, sauce, ground seeds and nuts together until warmed and well blended. Turn off heat and mix in raw pumpkin gratings reserving 1 cup for topping. Pour into a serving dish. Add remaining nuts, grated pumpkin, green onion, and chopped chili pepper to garnish.

Serve with aloha. Enjoy!

Please note:

This dish can be adapted to use peanuts, peanut butter, spaghetti noodles, as well as flax seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds or anything else that you have in your pantry. The general rules are to use more pureed pumpkin/squash and less nut butters. Using about ¾ pumpkin to ¼ nut butters/chili sauce works fine. This creaminess that comes from the pureed squash makes the dish both economical and heart healthy.