Thai-style Butternut Squash Stew with Lentils

My eating habits come in waves.  For a week or two at a time, I'll eat indulgently- a lot of olive oil, nuts, processed meats and cheeses and heavy flours and decadent pastries- and then I'll go through a week where I eat nothing but whole foods.  There's no rhyme or reason for it- I just eat what my body wants.  After days of pastry, olive oil, fake chick'n, cashew sauces, and the like, my body wanted something clean and whole today.

I've had a big butternut squash from my CSA sitting on my counter all week, just begging to be used in something special, and Thai pumpkin soup is one of my favorite dishes.  There's this wonderful place in the city called King's Cafe, and sometimes they'll do this wonderful seasonal pumpkin stew that I'm absolutely in love with.  I had some cauliflower and red pepper that needed to be used up, as well as 2 cups of cooked lentils.  The beauty of stews and curries and soups is that it's really anything goes.  This ended up being SO good.  Is something still healthy when you've had three bowls of it?  Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

  Thai-style Butternut Squash Stew with Lentils

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 piece of ginger, about 2 inches big, peeled and minced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, sliced in half and scored all over with a sharp knife
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 small butternut, kabocha, or buttercup squash, or 1 pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 3 cups lentils (if you're using green or brown lentils, cook them first; if you're using red lentils, no need to pre-cook)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can coconut milk

Directions

1. Saute the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass in a 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until fragrant.  
2. Add spices, salt, and curry paste and saute another minute.  
3. Add squash, cauliflower, and red pepper.  Saute a few minutes.
4. Add the lentils, coconut milk, and veggie broth.  Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low and simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Blend a quarter of the stew with an immersion blender or in your blender.  Stir back into stew.  Enjoy!

What are your typical eating habits like- do you go for healthier fare, or are you an indulgent eater?