Argentine Stew in a Pumpkin Shell

Ingredients

• •2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 1 ½ inch cubes
• •1 large onion, chopped
• •2 garlic cloves, minced
• •3 tablespoons oil
• •2 large tomatoes, chopped
• •1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• •Salt, pepper
• •1 teaspoon sugar
• •1 cup dried apricots
• •3 white potatoes, peeled and diced
• •3 Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• •2 cups beef broth
• •1 medium pumpkin
• •Butter or margarine; melted
• •1/4 cup dry sherry
• •1 16-ounce can whole kernel corn

Directions

1. 1Trim any excess fat from beef and cook with onion and garlic in oil until meat is browned.
2. 2Add tomatoes, green pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, sugar, apricots, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and broth.
3. 3Cover and simmer 1 hour. Meanwhile, cut top off pumpkin and discard.
4. 4Scoop out seeds and stringy membrane.
5. 5Brush inside of pumpkin with butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Stir sherry and corn into stew and spoon into pumpkin shell.
6. 6Place shell in shallow pan and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, or until pumpkin meat is tender.
7. 7Place pumpkin in large bowl and ladle out stew, scooping out some of pumpkin with each stew serving.