The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans

Sam at Becks & Posh is hosting this month’s edition of Is My Blog Burning? with the theme I Can’t Believe I Ate Vegan!  Much as turning vegan has never entered my mind – I’m too much of an ecology empiricist – I have to admit it wouldn’t be such a radical change in lifestyle if I decided to. I grew up in a very traditional household, culinary-wise. This means we ate rice, mostly fish and vegetables on regular days. Since I am a vegetable lover, I later found myself experimenting with all-vegetable meals.

Modesty aside, my dishes have always been successful that even avowed carnivores and vegetable haters have eaten them with gusto. Vegan is but a step further. One of Sam’s stipulations is “conjure up some Vegan food so fantastic that anyone who eats it won’t even be the slightest bit aware that absolutely no animal-derived produce has passed their lips.” A big problem since almost everyone I know doesn’t have qualms about eating vegan. They just don’t call it that. This is Asia after all.

My first offering is something which we have on a regular basis. Sabo culubasa or squash soup can either be eaten on its own as a light snack, with a sandwich or as part of a full meal. It uses very few ingredients which are available almost anywhere. Cooking it is also very simple that an eight-year old child can accomplish it.

Squash soup
1 small or half of a medium squash (buttercup, acorn or similar)
1 head garlic, crushed roughly
2 small-medium onions, sliced thinly
spinach, desired amount
salt to taste
ground black pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon vegetable cooking oil
3-4 cups water

The squash used should not be very mature. Scrub it well and slice into thin pieces, including the skin. Set aside.

In a shallow pot, heat the oil then saute garlic till just about fragrant – guisang sagiwa or literally a raw saute. Before the garlic browns, add the onions and caramelise. Put in the squash and cover for around five minutes as its natural juices come out. Pour half a cup of water and a pinch of salt. Simmer till very tender, adding small amounts of water to make sure the mixture does not dry up.

From here, we can proceed in one of two ways. One is to take out all the slices of squash and puree them in a food processor or strainer. The othe way is to just leave them simmering and mash them with a ladle. Sometimes I prefer the first method, if I feel like having a creamy soup. Now and then I go for the second, when I like it to be more chunky.

After pureeing/mashing to desired consistency, return the squash to the pot and bring to boil. Add a bit more salt and black pepper if desired. Add the spinach and let boil for three minutes or so.

For a creamy non-vegan treat, add milk on the bowl just before serving.

Thank you for hosting, Sam. Oh, I still have another entry coming up! Watch out tonight!

Next: Spicy Tofu

By the way, the deadline for the second edition of Lasang Pinoy is in two days (29 September). Head to Celia Kusinera’s English Patis for details of Cooking Up a Storm! We hope to have you join us!

Update: Sam’s three-part round-up is already online – Starters, Soups, Snacks & Sandwiches; The Main Course; and Desserts, Baked Goodies and Sweet Somethings.