Achochas

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 3 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped (1.5 tablespoons)
• ½  to 1 cup sweet red pepper strips
• 1 pound or six cups of achoca halves, scooped free of seeds and pits
• 1 teaspoon or more Sriracha sauce

Directions

With any stir fry it is best to have all the prep work done before cooking begins.

1. Scoop out any loose material and seeds from the Achocha halves. Dried mature seeds may be used in a future garden.
2. Heat skillet, when hot add garlic and in a few seconds add pepper strips.
3. Lastly, add Achocha halves and stir and turn until they are softened – about 5 minutes. If they are not yet tender cook for another one or two minutes.
4. Add Sriracha sauce and salt to taste. This amount of Sriracha gives a spicy but not overpowering amount of heat but taste your way to your own preference.

Ingredients

Stuffed Achocha:

• 6-8 stuffing cucumbers
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 of a medium green pepper
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small tomato
• 1 cup of cooked meat
  substitute/tofu, or 1 cooked soy burger

Cheese sauce

• 2 Tbsp of butter
• 1-2 Tbsp of flour
• 1 cup of cold milk
• 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Split the Achocha with a knife to remove the seeds without completely cutting in half (so you can stuff it later). Place in the oven at 375° F for about 20 minutes or until the Achocha has flattened from being cooked all the way.
2. Dice all the vegetables and start sauteing them, with the exception of the tomato, in a pan in a little bit of olive oil. Just before the veggies are finished, turn off the stove.
3. Chop up the meat substitute or soy burger and quickly saute with the tomatoes. When the soy burger and tomato is ready, add to the veggies and heat everything up together.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make the sauce, start with a basic roux (or rue). For the amount of sauce we needed, we used the quantity of ingredients mentioned above.

1. On medium heat melt the butter. Once melted sift in the flour and mix until there are no clumps and it becomes a paste.
2. Continue stirring until the paste is tan to brown, but be sure not to burn it.
3. Add in cold milk and stir well to dissolve all clumps. Make sure the mixture heats up slowly. Simmer for a few minutes while continuously stirring, or until the mixture thickens. Turn OFF the heat.
4. Add in the cheddar and continuously stir until you have a smooth creamy mixture. If the cheese wont melt, put the mixture back on very low heat until it does melt. If your cheese sauce project fails, here are some tips: http://allrecipes.com/howto/cheese-sauce-made-easy/

To assemble, take one roasted Achocha, stuff with the veggie and soy mixture. Top with about a table spoon of cheese sauce. It will be delicious and light. You will want more. If you are feeling generous, make this easy dish for your friends and ‘wow’ them with your knowledge of international cuisine!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 6 or more mature achocha fruits, hollow but still green and tender, sliced in half & seeds removed
• 1/2 cup diced immature (solid) achocha fruits or regular cucumber
• 1 cup diced tomatoes, drained of excess fluid (optional)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp minced fresh dill (reserve a pinch for garnish)

Directions