Autumn Root Stew

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 8 carrots
• 4 sweet potatoes
• 2 parsnips
• 8 slices bacon

• 1 (398 ml) can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, finely diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 teaspoon mesquite powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Slice the butternut squash lengthwise and place the two haves pointing upwards on a non-stick baking tray. Spooning out the seeds and put them on the tray beside the squash. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until the flesh is soft.

2. 2

   While the squash is baking, put the bacon in a frying pan and cook it (though not to the point of being crispy). Remove the bacon and leave the bacon fat in the frying pan.

3. 3

   Chop or tear the bacon into small pieces and set aside.

4. 4

   Add the diced onion, diced ginger and peanuts to the bacon-fat frying pan and saute until the onions are translucent and the peanuts are a darker brown shade. Set aside with the bacon.

5. 5

   Remove the squash from the oven and use a spoon to extract all of the flesh from the squash. Add the flesh and the toasted seeds to a large stockpot.

6. 6

   Peel and cube the sweet potatoes, adding them to the stock pot.

7. 7

   Peel and chop the carrots and parsnips, adding them to the stock pot.

8. 8

   Add the water, can of coconut milk, bay leaves, parsley, mesquite powder, chili powder, salt and pepper to the stock pot and stir.

9. 9

   Put the stockpot on a stove top element set on medium for 30 minutes and cover.

10. 10

    Add the set aside onions, peanut, ginger, bacon and cook for another 10 minutes.

11. 11

    Serve and set aside portions for later. Freezing or canning is recommended.