Pumpkin Curry & Other Fixin's

So I'm feeling myself getting back on the green & healthy living band wagon, and the last few days I've been in the kitchen a' cookin'. Overly ripe bananas become whole wheat, nut, banana bread....

And then....yesterday I whipped out a crock pot pumpkin curry & pan-fried tilapia dinner.

I know, I know, the crock-pot is the lazy way...but you know what, I LOVE it :)

This pumpkin was a self-starter that grew out of a composted pumpkin from two years ago. I harvested it last fall/winter and it still was good to use (as well as some other fall squash I have yet to use). The carrots came from the garden and the fish was bought in bulk & frozen. All ingredients used were items I had on hand.

If you don't know the trick of using a peeler to take the skin off a squash, try it...

...works SO much better than cutting it off with a knife. (Saved the seeds to try to either replant or dry.)

For the curry, I used this pinned recipe as a starter. I wish that I would have doubled up on the spices (and I didn't use all of them listed).

Here's what this DID have it:

Almost all of one small pumpkin: skinned & cubed

one can garbanzo beans

2 cans organic coconut milk

1 can just water

3 medium carrots: chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 cup brown rice

1 small can tomato paste

small handful chopped parsley

1.5 tsp cumin

1.5 tbsp ginger

1.5 tsp curry powder

salt & pepper

Cooked on high for 6ish hours, stirring every couple hours

Turned to low for one hour

And again, I'd add much more spice, maybe even some red pepper flakes

Dinner was served with my first-ever pan fried fish, seasoned with lemon juice, s&p, and a lil' Tony's cajun spice. M picked up & contributed bag o' salad of wild greens, apple slices, walnuts, bleu cheese, & raspberry vin! Dinner was de-lish!

And yesterday I also set out my first batch of suntea :)

Flavored with a lil lemon & some agave that needs to be used up (I've heard controversial reviews regarding agave so I don't know that I intend to keep using it, but need to use what I do have...)

Tonight's menu for my parents might consist of a shrimp boil with corn & red potatoes OR some other fish maybe with asparagus & rice.... and for dessert, M has lil angel food cakes, strawberries & reddiwhip! YUM!