Smile, how interesting to start a text with this word, especially knowing that in this text it has several meanings. The recipe I bring today was sent by a friend, who before being a cook was already my friend, unlike most of the chefs of which I will reproduce recipes throughout this project. Smile is his nickname, a way that friends identify him for carrying a wide smile on his face, for having a round face with pink cheeks and this beautiful SMILE: he couldn't help but receive this nickname from our friends. His name is Sergio Daniel, now a cook, but it wasn't always like that, despite the influence of his grandmother who, according to him, was a great home chef.

He says he was not convinced by all of his grandma's specialties and at 16 he was already looking for his own recipes. Despite these culinary adventures, Daniel only came to dedicate himself professionally to the kitchen as an adult, after having studied Law. He left university and started his own business years later, where he sold barbecue meat on a stick, popularly known as Espetinho de Gato, and it was at that moment that his childhood and adolescence passion prevailed, from then on he started to study and was soon inside professional kitchens as a cook. Specializing in Italian cuisine, in pasta and sauces, and in American cousine, where he learned the art of meat cuts and hamburger preparations. He passed by several renowned restaurants in the city of Curitiba like Hard Rock Café and others.

Today chef Daniel is a scholar of shamanism and from that culture he brings new knowledge to his cuisine, including healthy eating and a deep respect for nature. The recipe he sent me to be reproduced brings this message because it is a vegan dish, that is, without any ingredients of animal origin.

Vegan Stroganoff: stroganoff is a dish much appreciated by Brazilians and although it is not typical of Brazil it is very common in Brazilian culture, everyone is familiar with the meat strips in the sweet and sour sauce. When Smile sent me the recipe he explained the influences that led him to create the dish: in addition to being vegan, in Brazil there is a traditional dish from the coastal areas, the famous Camarão na Moranga (Pumpkin’s Shrimp), which has the beauty of the pumpkin being used both as an ingredient and as a serving dish. Well, the chef decided to connect this dish with Stroganoff and the healthy vegan concept, and so he created his pumpkin stuffed with this impeccable recipe, which carries with it ingredients that recall both famous dishes but being at the same time original and unique.

Good recipe everyone!

Vegan Stroganoff
For 4 people

Ingredients
- 1 medium pumpkin
- 400 g of chickpeas
- 500 ml of coconut milk
- 200 g of mixed mushrooms (fresh or dried, as you prefer)
- 350 ml of tomato sauce (preferably homemade)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of mustard powder
- A pinch of coriander powder
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper (can be replaced with a less strong pepper)
- Chopped parsley and chives
- Fine herbs

Preparation
Soak the chickpeas for 8 hours before cooking to soften them. If you choose to work with dried mushrooms, also hydrate them for 8 hours before preparation. Cook the chickpeas for 30 minutes in the pressure cooker, or until tender. Cut the pumpkin, remove all the seeds and a good part of the pulp. Beat the pulp in a blender with the homemade tomato sauce, until creamy. Stir fry the minced garlic, then add the pumpkin cream with the tomato sauce, and then the seasonings: mustard, coriander, salt and finally pepper, little by little and experimenting until it’s in the point you prefer. Add the coconut milk, parsley, chives and fine herbs. To prepare the mushrooms, first drain the water if they are dried mushrooms hydrated in water. Sauté them with olive oil, fine herbs and a pinch of salt - if the mushrooms are fresh, sauté them with the garlic too.

Serve in the pumpkin (optional)

Place a small closed pumpkin in the oven for 15 minutes. After cooking, open it in half, remove some of the pulp and serve the stroganoff in half of the cut pumpkin.

Served with brown or wild black rice and sauteed mushrooms with aromatic herbs and truffle olive oil.