Caribbean Pumpkin and Rice Casserole -Adapted From Oven-Heerlijke Schotels

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Ingredients:

2 cups (400g) uncooked rice (I used a medium-

grain white rice)

1 pie pumpkin, washed, seeds and strings

discarded and cut into large slices (leave the

skin on)

2 small yellow onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red chili pepper (optional), deseeded and

minced

1 orange or yellow bell pepper, deseeded and

diced

2 T. olive oil

1 T. dried parsley

Tip of a knife of allspice (“pimentpoeder”)

Tip of a knife of nutmeg

1 can coconut milk

1 vegetable bouillon cube

Salt and pepper

2 oz (57g) Gouda cheese, cut into tiny cubes or

grated

Rind from a small lemon

Butter to grease the casserole dish

2-3 ripe tomatoes, sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook

the pumpkin slices for 15 minutes until

tender. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to

package directions. Drain, fluff with a fork,

and set aside with the lid on. When the

pumpkin is done cooking, drain it well.

Heat the oil in a pot over med-low heat and

cook the onion, garlic, bell pepper and red

chili pepper until softened. Mix in the parsley,

allspice and nutmeg. Crumble the bouillon

cube in and pour in the coconut milk. Stir well.

Remove from the heat, add the pumpkin and

mash with a potato masher. Or you can puree

it if you prefer it smooth. Season with salt and

pepper to taste, and then stir in the cheese

and lemon zest.

Spoon the cooked rice into a buttered 9x13”

dish. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the

rice and arrange the tomato slices over the

top of the casserole. Bake for about 25

minutes until bubbly hot and the tomatoes

have softened.