Calabacitas

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 1 small pumpkin(s), e.g. Hokkaido
• 1 small onion(s)
• 2 zucchinis
• 100 g cheese, grated, e.g. Cheddar
• 1 small chili pepper(s), fresh or dried, or chili powder
• some oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Vegetable pan with pumpkin, zucchini and cheese

For this lightning-fast and uncomplicated vegetable stew from New Mexico, first clean the squash, remove the seeds and strings, peel if necessary (not necessary with Hokkaido), and roughly chop. Wash the zucchini, peel if desired (I eat the skin), slice, and halve them depending on their size. Chop the onion and finely chop the fresh chili peppers. If you prefer a less spicy dish, remove the seeds first or omit the chili peppers altogether. Heat the oil in a pot and briefly sauté the onions. Then add the squash and zucchini pieces and the chili peppers and sauté for a few minutes. Deglaze with a splash of water and cook over medium heat in a covered pot for about 10-15 minutes, until the zucchini and squash are tender. Leave the pot uncovered and let the excess water evaporate, then remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the calabacitas and fold it in until it forms stringy textures. Season with salt, pepper, or chili powder. Tip: If you like, you can add chopped bell peppers, corn, leeks, etc. to the vegetable stew in addition to the pumpkin and zucchini.