Culinary Playtime: Squash Stew

Yesterday evening, it was time to take the A train to check out Mandy and Sté's new kitchen, which is absolutely spectacular! (We finally have the space for a cooking show!) They have a HUGE counter, awesome faucet (with a touch sprayer function!), stove with a super-charged burner, lots of storage, and a fridge with a space-age water dispenser. Niiiiice...

When it was time to cook, KKNY's vegetarian voice--a.k.a. Mandy--had picked up the fixin's for a sort of North African vegetarian stew. We were playing, so didn't really pay attention to amounts, etc., but here's the basic improvisation:

We sautéed three minced cloves of garlic and one small onion in some olive oil, then added two large carrots, which Mandy had cut into large chunks. After a bit, we added smoked paprika, sweet paprika, coriander powder, a little cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, two strands of saffron, and a little water, then covered and cooked on low heat. After about 5 minutes, we added butternut squash (peeled and cut into large cubes), a can of tomatoes, and a little more water. When the squash was cooked, we added a diced apple, which we cooked for a few more minutes, then stirred in half a bunch of chopped fresh cilantro.

We served it with quinoa (sautéed in olive oil and salt before it was steamed) and garnished it with chopped mint and pomegranate--which actually made the dish. Next time we'll add some almond to the quinoa, but otherwise, we were pleased with the results of our culinary playtime!