Autumn Stew with Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

I thought I posted this Autumn Stew recipe before but I've searched and searched through my blog and I can't find it any where so I guess not.

This is one of my favorite things to make.  I got the original recipe from the book Eat Right, Live Longer by Neal Barnard.  All the recipes in the book are written by Jennifer Raymond.  I read this book when I was still searching for why I was so sick all the time and the doctors were telling me I had everything from fibromyalgia, to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  It's actually a pretty good book, I learned a lot, and got some great vegetarian recipes from it.  (of course, some of them had to be changed to Gluten Free, but they're still really good.)

Autumn Stew

1 1/2 cups water or low sodium vegetable broth, divided (today I'm using some of the Chicken Broth I just made since no one who will be eating this is a vegetarian)
1 tablespoon Gluten Free soy sauce (I use Organic wheat free reduced-sodium San J tamari sauce)
1 onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound winter squash - today I'm using butternut squash but you could use acorn, kabocha, delicata...
1 15oz can crushed or diced tomatoes - no salt added (the "no salt added part" is not required, but I'm on a low sodium diet, **I recently found that Kroger brand pureed tomatoes have only about 15mg sodium in the regular can and they are a whole lot cheaper, but it's 22oz, so I just adjust my recipe a little and make more.)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder (I usually add more)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I like more so I add more)
Black pepper to taste. (about 1/4 tsp)
1 15 oz can Kidney beans undrained (I try to find beans with no salt added, or as little sodium as possible I like using Eden's they have no salt added, are gluten free, fat free....)
2 cups frozen corn

*the original recipe calls for a Red Bell Pepper, I don't like Bell Peppers and many of my friends don't like them either so I leave it out.

Heat 1/2 cup water or broth and soy sauce in a large pot.  Add onion, (if you used a bell pepper you would add it here), and garlic.  Cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and most of the water has evaporated.  Peel the squash, cut in half and then scoop all the seeds out and discard.  Cut squash in about 1/2 - 1" cubes.  You should have about 4 cups.  Add to cooked onions along with tomatoes, 1 cup water, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. 
Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to simmer until squash is just tender when pierced with a fork.  About 20 minutes.  Add kidney beans and corn and cook for 5 more minutes.

*Hint: I've used a number of different winter squashes, but lately I usually use Butternut because I can buy it at Trader Joes already peeled and cut up.  (I've seen it at Kroger like this too but only every once in a while)  And if any of you have ever cooked with winter squash before you know how hard they can be to peel and cut up.  Yes, I am a little lazy.
However, if you have to peel and cut up your own to make it easier cut the squash then place it in a baking dish with a little water then microwave it until the skin is easier to remove and you can cut it in smaller pieces.  NOTE: this will lessen cooking time.


I've made this recipe for many people and I haven't found anyone who hasn't liked it, even my meat eater friends request it.  For people who don't like squash, just don't tell them and they usually think it's Yukon Gold potatoes.  For people who love winter squash, they just love this even more!

I served the Autumn Stew with the Cheddar Cheese Biscuits thanks to the recipe from Shirley over at Gluten Free Easy, but I used Jules flour Mix like Tiffany did over at Triumph Dining blog.  Unfortunately, my biscuits didn't turn out as good as hers did.  I didn't have any cornstarch to add to my flour mix, so that may have made some difference.  But I think the main difference was that I tried to keep them warm for a while, and they ended up getting hard on the outside and being gooey on the inside.  But my husband loved them that way.

Over all, a great dinner!