Dinner in a Pumpkin

Time for the last pumpkin recipe as promised.  I know it isn't the weekend (I've been posting a pumpkin recipe every weekend in October) but in case anyone wanted to try this one out, I thought I'd post it before all the pumpkins are gone.  


I've been making this recipe each October for about 3 years.  It can feed people at a small dinner party or make it with just you and someone else and have delicious leftovers!  It got great reviews at our dinner party just last night.

Ingredients

• 1 medium pumpkin (8-10 lbs)
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Cut a 3 inch hole in the top of the pumpkin and remove the seeds and pulp.  Reserve seeds for roasting later
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
• Brown beef in a large skillet and drain
• Add celery and onion to beef and cook until tender
• Stir in remaining ingredients 
• Ladle the mixture into the pumpkin

• Place pumpkin on lightly greased baking sheet
• Bake in oven for 1.5 to 2 hours or until pumpkin is tender and filling is bubbling and hot throughout.

• Scrape the inside of the pumpkin to add some squash to each serving.  Sprinkle each serving with the shredded cheese!

Optionally Spicy Pumpkin Soup

After this, there's just one more weekend in October thus only one more pumpkin recipe coming.  Although I'm saving my favorite for last, I definitely give this one both thumbs way up as well.  This recipe is an adaptation of one featured in Oprah's O Magazine.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 large (mine was 1 lb, 13 oz) can pumpkin 
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat
• Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent
• Add spices and stir for one additional minute - the spice amounts called for in the recipe will make for a good taste but will not AT ALL make this soup spicy yet.  There will be a time later to add more spices as necessary for your personal liking

• Add chicken broth and pumpkin and mix well
• Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

• Transfer soup in batches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and return soup to pot - I personally like to stop the blender just shy of "smooth" and leave a couple chunks of onion still in tact
• With soup on low heat, add in brown sugar and mix
• Slowly add milk while stirring
• Add cream

• Adjust spices, if necessary, to make the soup spicier to your personal taste - for me, this meant a LOT of the red pepper flakes and the cayenne.  If you find that you overdo it and it is too spicy, just add a little more cream to temper it.
• Optional: if you've got 'em, garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds!

Creme Brulee

Another one of those impressive dessert recipes that you should have in your back pocket for your next dinner party!  This recipe was auctioned off at a church fund-raiser and it went for over one hundred dollars.  Yours for free!

Note:  You will need to acquire a food thermometer if you do not already have one.

Another Note: This is a two day recipe.  Most work is done on day 1 and it is served on day 2.

Recipe yields 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pints heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 10 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean*
• Turbinado sugar**

* Vanilla Bean - When I first tried this recipe, I had no idea what a vanilla bean was!  You can find it in the spice section in your grocery store.  It is sold in a spice jar....2 beans per jar.  Somewhat expensive: $6-8 per jar.  Worth it though!  This is what it looks like:

** Turbinado Sugar - This will probably come in a box and not a paper bag like most sugar.  It is basically raw sugar that is very coarse and light brown in color.  In fact, it is sometimes called Sugar in the Raw

Directions

Day 1

• Cut the vanilla bean into inch-long pieces
• Combine 1/4 cup (of the 1/2 cup total used in the recipe) sugar in a food processor with the vanilla bean pieces and blend on a high setting for 30-45 seconds to create vanilla sugar

• Add the vanilla sugar to the remaining 1/4 cup sugar along with the pinch of salt
• Combine sugary mixture in a sauce pan with 1 pint (not both!) of heavy cream
• While stirring, heat over medium to medium-high heat until steaming.  Do NOT allow to boil.
• Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes.  While waiting, preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Also while waiting, crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks.  Break up the yolks and beat well.  Set aside
• At the end of the 15 minute cooling period, add the remaining pint of heavy cream and mix well
• Add a small amount of the cream mix to the egg yolks to temper
• Slowly add tempered egg yolks to the cream mixture while stirring well
• Strain cream mixture with a fine sieve
• Divide strained mixture evenly into 10 ramekins (single serving cookware) and bake in a water bath*** until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, about 30-40 minutes.  Note: If you don't have quite enough ramekins, you can put larger amounts of the mixture into bigger containers.  I've successfully put enough for 4 servings into a very small pyrex dish and had no trouble.  Temperatures need to be monitored because the desired temperature will be reached at different times in different shaped containers.

Make sure you measure the temp carefully and accurately!

• Cool on wire rack for 2 hours and then chill in refrigerator overnight

*** Water Bath - Place ramekins in a deep baking dish.  Fill baking dish with boiling water such that the water comes half way up the outside of the ramekins.

Day 2

• To brulee (carmelize), cover top with turbinado sugar and pour off any remaining loose sugar that does not adhere itself to the custard.  Melt carefully with butane torch, moving the flame quickly back and forth over the sugar.
• If you do not have a butane torch, use the broiler setting of your oven to carmelize the sugar.  Broil for 20-30 seconds within at least an inch of the flame.  WATCH CAREFULLY!
• OPTIONAL: Garnish with fruit or berries

Beer Bread

3 cups of Self-rising flour
1 cup of sugar
1 can of beer (any kind)
Mix together, put in greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Allow to cool, then tear into small chunks and serve with Spinach Artichoke Dip found here.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

You've seen the Starbucks commercials.  Perhaps you've tried them.  The seasonal pumpkin spice latte is like heaven in a mug for me.  But at $4.50 a cup, it is not a treat I afford myself more than once or (gasp!) twice a season.  But thanks to this weekend's pumpkin recipe, you can enjoy one at home for a fraction of the cost!

Note - The recipe below yields 2 servings.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 4 tbsp canned pumpkin (or puree your own!)
• 2 tbsp sugar - less than in the Starbucks version
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 strong brewed coffee or 1/4 cup espresso
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice - can make your own by mixing equal parts nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ginger

Directions

1. Combine in a sauce pan the milk, pumpkin and sugar.  Heat until steaming.
2. Add vanilla extract and spices and whisk until frothy, remove from heat
3. Pour into mugs and pour coffee or espresso over top
4. Serve and enjoy!

Simple Spicy Peanut Stir Fry Sauce

Who doesn't love a good stir fry?  Below is a recipe for a Thai-style peanut stir fry sauce that is as good as it is easy.

• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup peanut butter of choice.  I prefer chunky :)
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar - if you don't have any, you can substitute 1 part normal white vinegar and 1 part lime juice
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat through while stirring.  Pour over stir fried vegetables and rice.

Veggies and sauce...rice on its way!

Bacon Corn Chowder

At noon it was 46 degrees here in the southwest part of Midwest to Southwest: Good Eats.  Chilly.  Definitely time for crock pot soup!

Ingredients

• 8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled 
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 red potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 30 oz chicken broth
• 2 cans creamed corn
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Directions

• Combine all ingredients besides the evaporated milk in a crock pot
• Cook on low for 8 hours
• Add evaporated milk for final 45 minutes

Potato Salad

This is a new twist on an old time favorite. This was given to me by a friend, and their grandma's Herbolisheimer's recipe!

You will need for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• celery salt to taste
• 1/4 cup onion

This dressing will make enough for about 6 large boiled red potatoes and 6 hard boiled eggs.

To make the dressing, boil water, vinegar, sugar, salt and m

ustard. Stir constantly; when it starts to boil turn down heat and add eggs (one at a time) stirring until thick. (I turned down to almost to simmer and added eggs one at a time; it will be a bit scrambled egg-like but just keep whisking...) Let cool and then add mayonnaise and celery salt. Chop potatoes and hard boiled eggs and onion. Mix altogether.

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 8 ounces), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)

Directions

1. Whisk syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and pep

per in a small, shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat with the marinade; cover and refrigerate for at lest 2 hours.

2. Grill till done.

3. Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan

and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced by ab

out half, about 4 minutes. Liberally baste the chicken with

the reduced sauce and serve.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It may seem simple enough.  Why post a recipe about how to do the simplest thing ever?  But the truth is, most people don't roast pumpkin seeds to my standards.  Salt is not enough, people!  When the pumpkin has been carved, try this mix of spices instead this year.

The amounts below are to be used per 1 cup of rinsed pumpkin seeds.  Increase amounts as necessary.

Ingredients

• Rinsed seeds from pumpkin
• 1 tbsp light cooking oil
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Place dried seeds in a small mixing bowl
• Mix with oil and spices
• Spread seeds evenly over a baking sheet
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until crisp and very lightly browned, tossing occasionally.  May have to increase for a larger amount of seeds

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken

This meal is a favorite around my household and the bonus is that the effort-to-impressing-guests ratio is quite favorable!  This post is really a recipe for teriyaki sauce that can be used on so much more than chicken breasts, as shown here.  It is also good on wings, salmon and beef!

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Other Ingredients Necessary For This Particular Dish

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 whole pineapple, peeled and cut into rings - canned pineapple rings will work as well but is considered to be sub-par in this house.  The flavor of a freshly cut pineapple is unmatched!  Don't be tempted!
• 4 servings cooked rice

Directions

• Combine teriyaki sauce ingredients.  The flavors will fuse best if they can sit in a container in your refrigerator for a couple hours before adding any meat for marinading.  If there is no time for this step, it's perfectly okay!
• Add chicken and allow to marinade for at least 2 hours.  
• Grill chicken until done
• Brush pineapple slices with leftover sauce and grill
• Serve chicken and pineapple over rice

Note: For a honey teriyaki sauce, add 1/4 cup honey to the sauce 

Tom-esto-san

Today I knew I would be hungry before our late dinner was ready so I threw together some ingredients I had for an experimental appetizer.  Side Note: food title also experimental!

Ingredients

• Tomatoes
• Pesto sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Slice the tomatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp
• Fill the tomato halves with a dollop of pesto sauce
• Place stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top (I'm sure shredded would be better than grated!)
• Bake for 13-15 minutes

Simple yet delicious

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Midwest to Southwest loves guest bloggers! This one comes from Amy down in Florida, thanks Amy!

You will need:

• Equal parts for the sauce of 1/2 honey mustard, 1/2 honey
• Bacon
• Shrimp

Cover shrimp in sauce, wrap 1/3 slice of bacon and secure with tooth pick.

Prep

Grill for about 3 minutes on each side.

Amy with finished product!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

October just might be my favorite month.  Cool temperatures, leaves changing color, football...the whole deal!  Add to those the opportunity to haul out some "seasonal recipes".  In October, that means pumpkin.

For each of the 5 weekends in October, I'll be posting a recipe that includes pumpkin as an ingredient.

As I've mentioned before, I don't typically enjoy baking.  Here, however, is a pumpkin recipe that can break the no-bake cycle.  My husband always makes faces when I say the words "pumpkin" and "cookies" in the same sentence, but I always catch him with his hand in the cookie jar when they are done.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl and mix well
• Beat butter and sugar in a separate, large bowl until well blended.
• To the sugar, add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing until smooth
• Gradually add the flour until all is combined and well blended
• Stir in chocolate chip cookies
• Drop dough onto greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoon
• Bake 15-18 minutes (it was 18 for me)
• Cool on wire rack

Tortilla Chips from Your Own Oven!

It was Friday afternoon, at about 4:30.  Dinner wasn't for a while but I had some good salsa in the fridge and wanted some chips.  A trip to the cabinet revealed that the chips had been finished (and not placed on the shopping list!).  Not wanting to fight the Friday evening traffic, things seemed hopeless.

But wait.

I had tortillas.  I had oil.  I had a couple spices.  I had an oven!  How hard could this be?

Ingredients

• 4 tortillas - for this attempt, I used flour because its what I had.  I'm sure corn would be terrific
• 1 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• Taco Seasoning - see previous post for recipe for a low-sodium taco seasoning you can make at home!  Also in that same post is a recipe for some pico de gallo that would be great with these chips!

 Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cut tortillas into chip-sized peaces and spread on lightly greased baking sheet
• Mix oil and lime juice into small bowl
• Brush oil mix lightly onto chips
• Sprinkle desired amount of taco seasoning onto chips
• Bake 10-11 minutes

Oven-ready!

Mouth-ready!

Verdict: More please!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan with Risotto and Vegetables

This blog has two recipes that I enjoy cooking together. The main dish is Broiled Tilapia Parmesan and Risotto with Veggies.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 pound tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Risotto with Vegetables

• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ¾ cup bite-sized asparagus or broccoli pieces
• ¾ cup seeded and diced tomato
• ¼ cup shredded carrot (1 small)
• ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or parsley

1. In large saucepan cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic until tender; add rice. Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes until rice is golden.
2. Meanwhile in another saucepan, bring broth to boil; reduce heat and simmer. Slowly add 1 cup of broth to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ cup of broth and asparagus/broccoli pieces to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1 cup broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until the broth has been absorbed. (This should take about 15 minutes.)
3. Stir in remaining ½ cup broth, the tomato, and carrot. Cook and stir until rice is slig

htly creamy and tender. Stir in parmesan cheese and basil/parsley.

**I found that I needed to add more BOILING water to the rice then the 3 cups b/c it was not quite done**

BBQ Ribs

Who does not enjoy some good homemade BBQ Ribs. This recipe is fantastic!

You will need:

Sauce:
1 Large Onion
1 C Catsup
1/3 C Worcestershire sauce
1 t Chili Powder, 1 t Salt,  2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 C Water

1 Rack Pork Baby Back ribs (Or however many would you like to cook)

Place ribs in the a baking dish, slice onions over the top of ribs, with half cup water. Cover with roaster lid or foil. Bake for two hours at 350.

I don't add the water the the sauce, however use the liquid from the bottom of the rib panand mix in with the the other ingredients (I add water if does not equal 2 cups) . Pour over the top of the ribs after two hours (Please note that that with the sauce that I double the sauce recipe for one rack of ribs.) Cover roaster again and bake for two more hours.

Remove foil and baste the ribs with the BBQ sauce in the bottom of roaster. Return to oven uncovered for the remaining hour.

They are so fantastic as they fall off the bone!

I love leftovers so I cooked two racks of ribs, and quadrupled the sauce recipe.