Pumpkin Chorizo Combo

You may ask the question, "who the fuck is eating this unappetizing combo?"

But bear with me here. Remember, pumpkin is just a squash. It isn't actually sweet. We're just so used to associating pumpkin with sugared things, like pie, we don't actually realize what it tastes like without a ton of sugar...and pumpkin spice.

Yes, this is actually a recipe that uses pumpkins and not pumpkin pie spices, utilizing the tasty orange flesh as a vegetable (in cooking terms - squash is a fruit in biological terms) in it's own right and not just a womb to incubate spices.

I adjusted a recipe I found for a Pumpkin Chorizo Frittata for taste and veganized it. 

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Pumpkin Chorizo Casserole

This dish makes for a super tasty dinner by itself as a casserole, or use it as a taco filling.


Ingredients:

• 1 pound pumpkin, cut into chunks (I used half of a kabocha)
• 1 chorizo tube (I used Soyrizo brand, meatless)
• 2 cups kale, sliced finely and massaged
• 1/2 onion, diced
• Equivalent of 5 eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (I used a can of whole coconut milk)

Preheat the oven to 425. Chop up all your veggies and get out a baking sheet and a casserole dish.

Dice half of an onion and caramelize in a frying pan over medium heat.

Chop up your pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Be sure to save those seeds; we'll use the in later recipes! 

I used a kabocha squash, which is a green skinned variety. I decided it's nutty flavor, and sweet potato texture would be perfect in this recipe. The skin is actually edible, but chewy, so I skinned the pumpkin using a vegetable peeler.

I roughly chopped the pumpkin into pieces about 1 inch, but you can dice if you prefer a smoother casserole. Place these on a roasting pan, either with oil, or use parchment paper for a healthier option. Roast in the oven for 5 minutes.

Open the chorizo substitute and peel off the wrapping. Usually these come in packages of two tubes. If they are large tubes, like Soyrizo, you will only need one. Mush it up with a fork and add it to the baking dish on top of the pumpkin. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

In the meantime, begin mixing the eggs. I used The Vegg as my egg replacer. There are two different kinds, one for baking and one for scrambled eggs or egg-wash. I used a combination of the two. Following the directions on the package, I mixed up the equivalent of 5 eggs. Whip it good.
 
Add the cream to the egg mix. I used canned coconut milk, which is quite thick, but there are also lots of heavy cream substitutes, just be sure to get an unsweetened one. Add pepper (and salt if desired) to taste. Whip it good.

Remove the pumpkin and chorizo from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350. In a casserole dish, mix together the pumpkin, chorizo, onions, and kale.

Pour the Vegg mixture over the veggies. Bake the dish in the oven for 40 minutes.

Enjoy as is, or use as a tasty taco filling.

Note: This is a loose casserole. If you prefer more of a frittata, you will need to add some flour or cornstarch to stiffen up the eggs.

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This is Day 5, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice