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Amazing, Affordable Stew In A Pumpkin- Dinner For 6 Under $20.00

This recipe is a fitting end for those decorative pumpkins that brighten our homes in fall. I’ve come up with a version that I’m told tastes better than the original and it qualifies for my ‘affordable entertaining’ collection of entrees. I can bring it in for $16.00 to $20.00, serving 6-8. The price difference is the cost of the pumpkin or other squash. If you are using a pumpkin you bought earlier, then the lower price is yours. However, be sure that it is in good condition. If there are soft spots, it can still be used by cutting away the firm sections, cooking and mashing them as bedding for the stew or other dishes.
As pointed out in my postings of Oct.21 and Oct.28, 2015, winter squash are interchangeable in most recipes and they are here as well as far as taste is concerned, but not if the squash is to be used as a serving vessel. For that it must have a flat bottom and a skin thick enough to withstand heat and contain the weight of the stew, without cracking. It’s also nice if it’s large enough to hold the entire recipe. For that only the pumpkin will do. For smaller amounts, “pie” pumpkins, kabocha and turban squash would be options.
I offer my adaptation first and then the original recipe. I think you will see that any ingredient substitutions I’ve made are interchangeable with the originals, depending on your preference, but bear in mind the price will be altered. However, there was general agreement that using the pork was preferable to the beef. It not only seemed more seasonal, but the taste just seemed more compatible with the other ingredients. In today’s market that’s a big plus!
My Stew in a Pumpkin: Serves 6
1 large pumpkin
3 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. butter
2 large onions cut in 1 inch pieces
2 ½ lbs. pork- in 1 inch cubes-butt or picnic recommended
28 oz. can diced tomatoes – 1/4 contents drained off and stored for other use.
3 large carrots- peeled, cut in 2 inch pieces
3 cups beef stock
1lb. bag frozen corn kernels
½ lb. dried apricots
4.5 oz. box of raisins
salt and pepper
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbs. cornstarch – optional

As with the original recipe, replace 1 cup broth with 1 cup beer for a deeper flavor (optional)
Cut the top evenly off the pumpkin, low enough to give access to the cavity. Clean out seeds and membranes; rub outside with 1 Tbs. oil and reserve. In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the meat in the remaining oil and butter. Add all the other ingredients except the cornstarch and simmer for 1 hr. If it seems too watery at this point, dissolve cornstarch with ¼ cup broth or water, stir in until stew liquid thickens. Cool, and ladle into pumpkin, place in a pan with 1 inch water, replace top and bake in a preheated 350deg oven for 1 hr. Carefully remove to a serving plate, and serve stew from pumpkin with a ladle, scraping the flesh from the sides to add to the plates.
The following menu suggestions are my own choice but can give you an idea of the types of things that will complement the stew. They can be served with either recipe and are included in the accounting below for my version of the dish.
Salad: I choose spinach salad with Creamy Vidalia Onion Dressing but Peppercorn or plain will do. The creamy taste goes well with the robust flavor of the stew.
Dessert: Because the stew is quite rich, I wanted a tasty but non-assertive dessert. Italian biscotti seemed a perfect choice, and The Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook has the most authentic recipe I’ve seen. They’re easy to bake, keep for ages in tins and can be made in different flavors, but this is the most traditional one.
Biscotti; Yield – about 20
¼ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. grated orange peel
½ cup coarsely chopped almonds
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt

In a bowl cream first 2 ingredients, add eggs; add next 4 ingredients and mix well, fold in almonds. Sift remaining ingredients and fold into egg mixture with a spatula until dough holds together when pressed with floured hands. Scoop the dough onto an oiled baking sheet and form into a log about 12 x 3 inches. Lightly press down to flatten to a little over an inch of thickness. The finished log should be about 14 x 4 inches. Bake on an upper rack in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 20 min. until slightly brown. Remove and transfer to a cutting board until cook enough to cut into ¾ inch slices. Lay the slices on the baking sheet, return to the oven and bake 5 min. on each side. Cool on a rack and store air tight.
TO SERVE: Biscotti are very hard and dry and designed to be dunked to soften them for eating. Italians prefer Vin Santo, but any sweet wine will do, port, Marsala, even cream sherry will do, as will all hot beverages, tea, coffee, cocoa. Children usually are given milk or juice.
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Original Recipe Stew in a Pumpkin; Serves 6
3 Tbs. butter
2 lbs. beef for stew cubed
3 Tbs. cornstarch
2 large onions diced
3 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbs. butter
¼ tsp. EACH salt and pepper
3 cups beef stock
½ lb. prunes
½ lb. dried apricots
3 sweet potatoes sliced
(2) 10 oz. packages corn –thawed and drained
1 pumpkin, top cut off and reserved, cleaned of pulp and seeds. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a Dutch oven. Roll the meat in the cornstarch and brown. Set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a separate pan and sauté vegetables until tender. Add to meat with juices. Add all remaining ingredients except pumpkin, cover and simmer 1 hr. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ladle stew into the pumpkin; set in a roasting pan with 1 inch of water, and bake for 1 hr. Carefully transfer pumpkin from the pan to a serving dish and replace its top as a lid for garnish. Serve at once scooping out some of the pumpkin meat as you ladle out the portions.
NOTE: I save clean-up by sautéing the vegetables in the Dutch oven first and then browning the meat. It’s one less pot. Also if you have it on hand, replace one cup of stock with beer. It deepens the flavor.

Expenditure; Normally regular pantry supplies, flour, salt pepper etc. and small amounts of herbs, spices and flavorings are not included in recipe estimates for articles. However, I’m figuring in the eggs, sugar and butter, because of today’s prices. I also want to mention that the nuts and raisins were bought in The Dollar Store, or they would have been more expensive. Pumpkins this year averaged $4.00, and the price of 2 smaller squash of another variety would total about the same, so add that to the total below and it comes to $19.47 just under the $20.00 as promised. Of course the biggest saving in the 2 recipes is the difference in meat used, but substituting carrots for sweet potatoes and raisins for prunes cut cost too.
2 ½ lb. pork butt @ $1.28lb.                                       $3.20
Carrots                                                                              $0.88
Onions                                                                              $0.50
3 cups broth @$1.00 qt.                                               $0.75
3/4 can diced tomatoes @ $1.00 per 28oz. can      $0.75
1 lb. bag frozen corn                                                      $1.00
½ lb. dried apricots                                                      $2.49
4.5 oz. box raisins                                                          $1.00
————-
$10.57 Stew
9 cup bag of spinach 2/$3.00                                     $1.50
Dressing ½ bottle @2/$4.00                                     $1.00
_______
$2.50 Salad
2 eggs                                                                               $0.40
½ cup chopped almonds (1.25 oz.)                           $1.00
¾ cup sugar @ 4lbs/$4.00                                        $0.50
¼ cup butter                                                                 $0.50
————-
$2.40 Biscotti
TOTAL—– $15.47

Prepare Ahead For The Holidays- Save Stress, Time And Money

A T.V. ad and a mailbox full of catalogues reminded me that I’m late with my annual post on preparing for the holidays. In many countries December holds two major holidays, but in the U.S. Thanksgiving is added the last week in November. Its date was deliberately set for commercial reasons to encourage holiday shopping and usher in the most expensive period of the year. There are gifts to purchase, decorations, perhaps travel plans, celebrations to organize, and of course food to buy for the occasions. Most families host at least one large dinner, then there are the regular holiday “goodies” to provide and often some social entertaining to do as well.

It’s a busy, financially demanding, stress filled period. Years ago I learned the only way for me to cope was to amortize it; to begin the planning, buying and some of the actual preparation weeks, even months in advance. My personal chef training validated this approach by teaching me how to cook ahead for serving at a later date. Now, I wonder how I ever did things “seasonally” and I’m grateful that I have time to relax and enjoy the trappings and companionship. There’s still plenty of last-minute tasks, but no real pressure either on my schedule or my wallet.

Part I – Amortizing Expenses:

Oddly the supermarket chains seem to be playing my tune, even stepping up the beat. Until a few years ago, I bought the special Christmas baking ingredients, things like chocolate, coconut and colored sugars in December. Then, about five years ago, I realized that prices seemed higher than they had been a month before. The following year, I bought those supplies before Thanksgiving and watched to see if the prices changed and I was right, they went up! Not just for those ingredients, but for most of the items I needed for holiday meals and treats. I have my own theory as to the reasons behind this marketing strategy, but ever since, I purchase most of my food supplies well in advance.

This fall I’ve noticed another trend in marketing. The featured sales, at prices I know will not improve later, of favored holiday ingredients started really early. I bought the butter in September, the sugar, flour and any other baking supplies I’ll use, in October. Even the canned goods and cranberry sauce are less than they will be in a couple of weeks. I can honestly say that I will have all my supplies for the holidays by Thanksgiving.

Here’s an extra tip. If you plan on serving turkey in December, and have freezer space, take advantage of the Thanksgiving prices and buy a frozen one. I always ordered a fresh bird for Christmas until I was snowed in one year, and a neighbor with a van offered to get it for me. Forgetting to give the neighbor my market card lost me the early-order discount, but, still, I was surprised to see it cost four-times  the price at Thanksgiving. Since then, I’ve given my nerves, and my wallet too, a break and bought frozen turkeys in November. Let it snow, I’m set!

The concept of stocking ahead for any holiday or event is a straight forward one. You see something you know you’ll need in the near future, at a good price, and buy it. The costs are absorbed in your weekly food bills, rather than presented as one large expense. You’re saved the stress of last minute shopping during the busy season and the clutter of unloading items in an already full pantry.

However, there are a few rules to follow or you can run amok, because you can’t depend on memory alone. This is a great example of my theory that the best way to economize on money and time is through organized planning and informed shopping, and the all-important tool is a comprehensive list. This is easier than it sounds. Most holidays and special events rely on traditional or requested dishes so the food items and/or ingredients are well known. Simply write a list of your menus, break each dish into ingredients, add any other foods you plan on making, gifts, cookies etc. and do the same with them. Calculate totals when possible (flour, sugar, eggs etc.) and make a master list. Keep it handy when shopping and mark an item you buy. Don’t delete anything or you may forget and duplicate, plus checking things off gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Part II—Amortizing Time

Obviously acquiring needed items over weeks, rather than having to schedule, or “work in” special shopping trips is a time saver in itself. The menu choices will affect prior preparation too. Egg dishes, generally, should be cooked just before serving. If you are open to communal contributions, be sure that you’re not going to spend the afternoon juggling things to finish them or keep them warm.

That being said, it’s amazing the number of recipes that can be made or partially made in advance. My eyes were opened when a chef in my U.S.P.C.A. chapter asked for help to cater a large wedding. The daughter of her biggest client was determined to have a menu she had seen in a magazine and none of the catering firms would be so specific. Fortunately, the chef knew a caterer who gave access to a commercial kitchen and offered professional advice. The menu was extensive; a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres, five courses, with choice of entrees, including dessert and, of course, the cake. Five of us started Tuesday and by Thursday evening everything was ready to be delivered to the venue on Friday, for Saturday’s wedding. All that remained to be done on site was to heat various sauces for which large hot plates were included. It may be a surprise to learn many popular venues lack cooking facilities.

The point is that, many dishes can be prepared ahead, but the storage is as, or perhaps even more, important than the cooking. In fact, safe handling, or Safe Serve as it’s called, is a course in which all chefs need to be certified. Knowing how to freeze different foods is a major asset. For a crash course, see my posts of January 11, 19, 25 and February 2, 2012. Click Table of Contents on the Home Page header and then click the dates to link to the posts. Most foods require some degree of refrigeration, so be sure you have adequate space before embarking on making several dishes in advance.

The process of planning to prepare dishes in advance of an event is highly individualized. Your menu choices and personal schedule must figure in your calculations and, therefore, it’s difficult for me to give any specific directions other than the advice contained in the posts cited above. Perhaps the best way illustrate the process in a general way is to share my Christmas timeline, and you can get a general idea of the process to adapt to your needs.

1) Early Oct. –1) Process celery and onion mixture for the stuffing and freeze

2) Bake fruit breads. See 10/29/15 post for recipe

2) Mid Oct. – 1) The salad dressing for Christmas is ready in the fridge

2) The Cumberland sauce for one hors d’ouvre is made

3) End Oct. – 1) The sautéed croutons for the stuffing are in an airtight can

2) The cheese spreads are made and chilling in crocks.(Extra stored in plastic containers)
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4) Early Nov. –1) Nuts toasted and salted

2) Cranberry sauce made and kept well chilled

MID NOV—Thanksgiving preparation- task schedule similar to Christmas as detailed below

5) End Nov.-Make cookie batter-store in fridge

6) Early Dec. – 1) Make cookies

2) Bake cakes and freeze them

7) Xmas Week –1) Make any add-ins for vegetables=sautéed onions or mushrooms, toasted nuts etc.

2) Roast, thaw, prep vegetables for sides, put them in dishes in which they can be heated and served. Cut and soak salad greens –Refrigerate all

3) Thaw turkey

4) Store everything plated and ready to serve—cookies on covered platters etc.

DEC. 23^rd – Make stuffing and chill.

DEC. 25^th – Cook bird, thaw cakes, finish vegetables, toss salad, make gravy.

New Year’s Week-Dec. 26^th – Strip carcass, saving enough meat for a large casserole, freeze the rest and the stuffing separately in 2 portion size packages. Boil the bones and freeze broth.
Dec. 27^th -29^th-Make turkey casserole, and a mixed vegetable one with pasta and/or grains. Refresh cheese crocks, bake ham and cake bars for dessert tray.
Dec. 30^th– Shop for fresh items, seafood, salad greens, bread and cream. Chop and soak greens. Prep any hot hors d’ouvres. Have everything ready on or in serving vessels.

Jan.1^st– Cook casseroles, heat hors d’ouvers and bread, toss salad, make Eggnog.

I’m including my annual New Year’s buffet as an example of how easily social entertaining can be included in the holiday schedule. A plus is being able to use leftovers from one event to build another. Please note that the foods for the New Year’s party, with the exception of the necessary fresh items, had been purchased well in advance, along with the other holiday supplies. So it was really a breeze to arrange, with no extra strain on the schedule or wallet.

If you’re looking for recipe ideas, you’ll find loads in my archives, everything from leftovers to vegetables, to salads and dressings. There’s even one on muffins and rolls that may appeal. Just click Table of Contents, and then choose posts that interest you.

So save yourself expense and stress this holiday season, by remembering what the Boy Scouts always say; ”Be prepared!” —-then you can relax and enjoy the festivities.

Fantastic Pumpkin and/or Squash Desserts

Here, as promised, are the pumpkin/squash desserts to follow the main course dishes I posted last week. If you want a change from the traditional, or a variation on it, or perhaps you don’t care that much for squash and want a dish with only a nod to the spirit of the season, there’s a recipe below for you.  You can even do as I do and add candied fruits to the bread recipe, decorate the top and serve it sliced, warm at Christmas. Instructions to do this are with the recipe below. In any case here’s your chance to try something new before the holiday.

I’m going to make the discussion short this week because the recipes are so long, but remember that all these dishes, as the ones from last week, are for any of the winter squash, pumpkin, butternut, acorn, calabasa -all of them. The cooking directions remain unchanged and the cavities should always be cleaned before cooking, unless steaming whole.  Also please remember that the pumpkin on your doorstep, treated properly, can be an investment in a wonderful meal or two.  So long as you don’t cut into it, or allow it to freeze and thaw, or for those in warm climates, expose it to direct hot sun, it will happily do double duty as decoration and dinner.

For fuller information on pumpkins, or winter squash in general, please consult last week’s posts and visit the archives to read the postings of Nov. 8, 2012 and Oct. 21, 2014. Simply click “Blog” on the   Home Page header and on the right side of any blog page you’ll see a “Select Month” button. You can then choose the proper month and year and pull up the posting.

Sliced Pumpkin Tart-Can also be made with any winter squash, butternut, acorn and calabasa
3lb. Sugar pumpkin or other squash
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cornstarch
½ cup apricot preserves
! Tbs. toasted chopped walnuts
1 baked 9-inch tart shell—commercial or homemade
Scrub squash, cut in quarters and remove seeds and pulp. Place shell side down in a Dutch oven with the water, sprinkle with sugar and simmer, covered 20-30 min. until tender, reserve juices. Cool pieces on a rack over a pan. Measure drippings and add reserved cooking liquid to measure ½ cup. Stir together cinnamon and cornstarch in a saucepan; gradually add the ½ cup liquid. Boil mixture until thickened and stir in preserves off heat. Peel squash, slice quarters into 2 inch wide strips then cut crosswise into 1/8 inch thick pieces. Spoon 2 cup squash into tart shell, making a flat layer and pour on half the sauce. Arrange the rest of the squash pieces in circles and cover with the rest of sauce. Garnish with walnuts. Chill at least 3 hours.

Pumpkin Nut Bread
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ cup milk
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup butter or margarine
½ cup chopped nuts-walnuts or pecan
Powdered sugar
Sift dry ingredients together . Combine everything else but the nuts in a large bowl and beat until blended. Beat in flour mix just until smooth, and then stir in nuts.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350deg.oven 50-60 min. until tester
comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, cut in thin slices.

To make a Holiday Bread
¾ cup chopped candied and dried fruits—apricots, pineapple (chopped) craisins and raisins
Candied cherries and nut halves for decoration
½ cup red wine—to replace milk
2 Tbs. whisky
Toss fruits with the dry ingredients to separate and coat them.  Mix batter as directed above but instead of using a beater, stir in flour mix as with a quick bread. Remove from oven after about 20 min. when risen, and place decorations on top. Return to oven and continue baking. The reason, here, is that the decorative fruits sink into the batter as it rises if put on at the start. Cool on a rack, sprinkle with whisky or wine, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. For the first couple of weeks, remove, re-sprinkle with whisky, re-wrap and return to fridge. Will keep for months.

Peach Pumpkin Cake
1can (1 lb. 13oz. ) peach halves in heavy syrup
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup oil
1cup sugar
2eggs
1cup pumpkin
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¼ cup peach preserves
Drain peaches reserving ¼ cup syrup and set halves aside to drain well. Sift dry ingredients. Beat oil and sugar in a bowl until well combined then beat in eggs one at a time, beat in pumpkin then flour mix at low speed just until combined. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch springform pan. Arrange peaches and nuts on top. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 40-45 min. until top springs back when pressed with a fingertip. Combine reserved syrup with preserves and bring to a boil until preserves melt. Remove cake from pan to a serving plate. Brush with glaze. Serve warm or cool.

Pumpkin Flan Serves 8
¾ cup sugar

Custard

1 cup pumpkin
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
6 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup brandy
Boiling water
2 Tbs. brandy

Cook sugar in a large heavy skillet over medium heat stirring until it melts into a light brown syrup. Immediately pour syrup into a heated 8 ½ inch round shallow baking dish. Using pot holders swirl to cover bottom and sides. Set aside. In a saucepan combine pumpkin, milk and cream. Stirring to blend, heat over low until bubbles form around the edges. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly then add sugar, salt and vanilla. Gradually stir in the hot milk mix and the 1/3 cup brandy. Pour into the prepared dish. Set dish in a baking pan and add boiling water to a depth of ½ inch. Bake in a preheated 325 deg. oven 50-60 min. until a silver knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Col custard and refrigerate overnight.

To serve: run a spatula around the edge to loosen and invert onto a serving plate. At the table, pour the 2 Tbs. brandy into a ladle, ignite and pour flaming over the flan.

Cold Pumpkin Chiffon Pie –This should be made a day ahead, because it needs to be well chilled. The pie filling can also be made in a mold and served as a mousse.
Needed –Double Boiler (also called a Bain Marie) and an 8 inch pie plate.
1 pie crust – home-made or purchased – baked*
1 Tbs. gelatin
¼ cup cold water
1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin – 1 can
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon + dash for pastry.+ dash for nuts.
1-2 Tbs. sugar for pastry + 1 Tbs. for nuts
½ tsp. ginger
2 eggs – separated
1 cup milk
¼ cup toasted spiced walnut pieces **
Line the pie plate with pastry, crimp or flute, and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10 – 15 min, until brown.* If homemade, incorporate dash cinnamon, and 2 Tbs. sugar into the dough.  If purchased, sprinkle cinnamon and 1 Tbs. sugar over the pastry in the pan.
Soften gelatin in cold water. Combine pumpkin, ¼ cup sugar, salt, spices, slightly beaten egg yolks and milk. Cook over boiling water 5 min, stirring constantly. Add softened gelatin and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Chill until slightly thickened. Beat egg whites until stiff, (remember to use clean beaters) and gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar. Fold into thickened pumpkin mixture. Pour into lined pie plate and garnish with nuts. Chill until firm.

*To stop an empty pie shell from buckling, line the bottom with a piece of foil filled with about a cup of raw rice or dried beans. Remove the foil after 10 min. if the crust isn’t brown enough by then. An alternative method is to prick the crust several times with a fork, but this allows juices from the filling to seep through and make it soggy after a few hours. The beans and rice are reusable in future pies, but if you plan on frequent baking, go to a home hardware center and buy 18 – 24 inches of the beaded chain used to make key chains. It works beautifully!

**Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt a thin sliver of butter on a piece of foil. Toss walnuts in butter, separate into one layer allowing ample room, sprinkle with 1 Tbs. of sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Toast for 6-8 min. until beginning to brown. Remove from oven, trying not to disturb the coating, allow to cool completely. Sprinkle nuts over the pie, and gently press, if needed, to make them stick.

A Twist on Classic Pumpkin Pie
One of the very best Pumpkin Pie recipes is Libby’s. I’m not going to copy it here because it’s on every can of that brand of pumpkin and at this season featured in every ad for that product, as well as headlined on the Libby’s website. However I do have a twist to add to it.

Anyone who reads this blog knows I’m a huge fan of meringue. It can be used in so many ways, not the least of which is to dress up a dish while keeping the contents from drying out. This is true of adding a meringue topping to pumpkin pie.

For a normal 8-9 inch pie, beat 2 egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add ¼ cups sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks. Using a spatula, spread meringue over the top of the pie covering the filling up to but not touching the crust. Swirl, leaving a few peaks. Bake in a 300 deg. oven for about 20 min until edges begin to brown. Cool to room temperature.

Great Recipes For Pumpkin And Other Winter Squash

Orange seems to be the color of fall; the sunsets, the leaves and those bright spots of decorative color that brighten doorways, windows and public places, the pumpkins. Actually pumpkins are a summer vegetable, because they’re planted in the spring but take so long to mature that they’re harvested in fall. Hence they’re considered a winter squash and most recipes are interchangeable with other varieties. Native to North America, they now grow on every continent but Antartica, yet oddly enough only in the Americas are they primarily raised as table food. In most other places they’re a feed crop. I discuss pumpkin’s history and global presence more fully in my posts of Nov. 8, 2012 and Oct. 21, 2014. Just click on the “Archives” link on this blog’s Home Page Header to access them.

My first fall in Italy, I saw many fields of pumpkins, but never one used decoratively, or sold in a produce shop and never, never the mention of one on a menu. I asked some Italian friends about this and the response was laughter. A member of the group had been educated in the U.S. and one autumn, admitted to missing pumpkin pie. As a gag the others had paid a local chef to make one.

However, none of the Italians involved in the gift had ever eaten pumpkin. Pumpkins were for animals not people. It was before the internet, so the chef had no way to properly research recipes on short notice. Moreover, most of the ingredients are not used in Italian cuisine. So that pie was dreadful. Funny though, all the Italians and other Europeans I know who have tasted pumpkin like it.

Over the years, pumpkin has gained in popularity, at least in the U.S. as methods of preparing it have multiplied. It’s a   low fat, low carb, high fiber, nutritious food. In short it’s a healthy choice, which can be turned into everything “from soup to nuts” if you consider pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds.

Since the development of the small “pie’ variety, there’s been a trend to regard the standard ones as decoration, especially for carving. Don’t forget that they were the pumpkins used to develop the recipes we love. In fact from an economic viewpoint, both for money and time, the large pumpkins are the better investment because of the equal cooking time and greater yield and, incidentally, the pulp freezes beautifully.

Pumpkins will keep for weeks if they are not carved, or allowed to freeze and thaw standing out in the weather. They also suffer in the heat. If you want decorative ones, buy the painted kind, and if it turns cold, or hot for those in the South, take them in if you plan to cook them.

I will admit that the bigger ones are better cut from the rind, chopped in large cubes and boiled, than roasted. When drained, they can be mashed and used in baked goods or frozen for later use. Their meat is best when mixed with other ingredients. The little pumpkins don’t need to be peeled, depending on the purpose, but can be served sliced or halved and roasted, by themselves or with the meat scooped out and made into pie.

 

I confess my favorite pumpkin recipes are not the sweet dessert ones but those that fit into other parts of a meal. It’s those recipes I’m going to concentrate on here, but don’t worry, I plan a full post on pumpkin desserts closer to Thanksgiving, their biggest day, and there are some real winners in that group! I also have a super recipe for Stew in a Pumpkin which I’m going to share in featured post, as the entrée in a full dinner menu. So stay tuned—

One thing pumpkin and all winter squash recipes have in common is that they require cooking. There are several ways of doing this, roasting, baking and boiling are the ones I’ve tried, but there’s also steaming. This is like microwaving a potato; it’s pricked around the top, rubbed with oil and cooked whole in a 400 deg. oven for 15 min. a pound. The problem with steaming is waiting for it to cool, first to cut off the top and then to remove the seeds and membranes, before proceeding. This is time consuming when working with a large item.

These cooking methods work for all winter squash as well as pumpkin, though butternut takes less time because the skin is thinner. For each, first remove the stem end, cut in half, scoop out the seeds and membrane. To boil: Cut in large chunks and simmer, just covered in water for about 20 min. or until flesh is soft enough to cube or mash, depending on intended use. To bake: Place halves, cut side up, in a pan with ½ inch of water, pierce flesh several times with a fork and cook at 400 deg. for 45 min. to 1 hr. until pulp is soft. To roast: Cut flesh in large dice, toss with 1 Tbs. oil per 3 cups meat, salt and pepper and roast at 400 deg., on a baking sheet for about 25 min. When cooked the melon’s flesh will easily be scooped from the rind, and can be mashed or pureed as the recipe directs. As stated above, extra meat freezes well.

 

Spicy Pumpkin Soup: Serves 6 well

1 pumpkin about 3 1/2 lb.

2 onions chopped

4 Tbs. oil

3 garlic cloves

3 in. piece of fresh ginger grated OR 2 tsp. powdered ginger or to taste

1 tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. turmeric

1 qt. vegetable broth

Pinch cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

Cilantro for garnish

Cook pumpkin and scoop out flesh. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in the oil 4-5 min. Add other spices and cook 2 min. more. Add broth and pumpkin and simmer 20 min. Cool and puree, then reheat to serve. Check seasonings and serve with cilantro garnish.

 

Creamy Pumpkin Soup; Serves 6 well

1 1/2lb. pumpkin cut in chunks without rind

1 lb. white potatoes

1 Tbs. oil

2 Tbs. butter

1 large onion chopped

2 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp. tarragon

½ tsp. nutmeg

2 cups milk

1-2 tsp. lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil and butter and sauté onion until soft; add the pumpkin and potatoes and sweat over low heat, stirring often until tender. Add seasonings and stock, simmer 10 min Cool slightly and puree. Add milk and reheat to serve, but don’t allow to boil. Add lemon juice as a seasoning perk before serving.

 

SIDES:

Baked Halves: 2 servings per item

My family loves roasted acorn squash or sugar pumpkin halves and I’ve never had a problem cooking them. I hollow them out, spear the inside several times with a fork, put a small sliver, about a teaspoon, of butter in each and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. Then I sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar and a bit of cinnamon in each half and cook for another 15 min.

Although with the price now at about $0.99 lb. for acorn squash and acorns usually average 1 ½ to 3lbs, we may see less of it as a side and more as an entrée. One of the simplest ways to do this is to bake it as above for 40 min., then fill it with your favorite meatball recipe or another ground meat mixture including the usual ingredients, onions, celery, peppers and /or breadcrumbs, but no egg and continue as directed above or until the stuffing is done.

It’s important to remember when baking ANY squash in its shell, even the summer ones in their edible skins to use a water bath or they may burn. That means to add at least ½ inch of water to the pan first. If the pan is metal, include a teaspoon to a tablespoon, depending on the size of the pan, of lemon juice or vinegar to prevent discoloration of the pan.

Mashed: Calculate 2 servings per pound of item raw

All winter squashes mash or puree well and can be served that way. However they are watery, so strain them in a lined sieve before seasoning them. Coffee liners work well here. If you want the dish to have more body, add a cooked mashed potato, white or sweet, depending on preference. The usual seasonings with these offerings are butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon, even a bit of cream, combined according to taste. They should be added after the pulp is drained and before it’s reheated for serving.

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2 cups pureed, drained pumpkin meat

3 Tbs. melted butter

½ tsp. zested lemon rind

½ tsp. salt

4eggs-separated

¾ cup crushed, drained pineapple

Combine first 2 ingredients. Beat egg yolks until lemony, beat in pineapple and add to pumpkin. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into yolk mix. Pour into a greased 7 in. greased baking dish. Bake at 350 deg. for 40-45 min. Serve at once.

Pumpkin Ravioli; Serves 6

1 lb. pumpkin-cut into chunks and cooked

1tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. sage or 15 fresh leaves Or equal amount of parsley

4 oz. butter melted

Salt and pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Mash pumpkin with a fork, add seasonings. Whether using Method 1 or Method 2 below, place a heaping teaspoon of the mixture on the dough or wrapper, slightly flatten with the back of a spoon, cover and seal edges with water then crimp with a fork. Gently place in boiling water. Do not crowd pan, and cook until al dente, about 4 min. The raviolis will rise to the top. Season with salt and pepper, sauced with melted butter and garnished with Parmesan. Serve very hot.

Method 1

1 ¾ cups flour

3eggs lightly beaten

Process these 2 ingredients until they form a dough. Form into a ball and let sit 30 min. Divide dough in halves and roll them out into equal sized rectangles about ¼ inch thick. Place the filling on one half in evenly spaced mounds in straight rows. Brush the spaces between the mounds with water and cover with the second rectangle of dough. Cut between the mounds making separate raviolis, pressing the edges to seal. Cook and serve as directed above.

Method 2

Buy wonton or spring roll wrappers from the supermarket. You will need about 16. They come in several sizes, so if necessary, you may have to cut them to a size to hold 1 tsp. filling. Place filling in the center of the wrapper, fold over to cover. Seal edges, cook and serve as directed above. Note: I often use this recipe and with canned pumpkin or frozen squash it’s very fast and easy. Just remember to if using frozen squash to drain it well first.

ENTRÉE PASTA SAUCES- FAST and EASY

Quick Pumpkin or Butternut Sauce: Serves 6

2 lb. “pie” pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and diced

2 leeks washed and thinly sliced

1oz.butter

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

11/4 cups heavy cream or half and half*

3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts

1 lb. pasta – recommended penne

Saute the leek over low heat, covered in the butter for 5 min; add the pumpkin and nutmeg and cook 8 min. Add the cream, 3 Tbs. of water, bring to a boil, cook stirring constantly for 8 more min. meanwhile cook pasta al dente and drain. Toss pasta with sauce, garnish with nuts. Serve.

 

Cinnamon Sauce: Serves 6

¾ lb. “pie” pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled diced and cooked

1 ½ Tbs. butter

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 onion chopped

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup cream—heavy cream or half and half*

1 Tbs. honey

¾ cup grated Parmesan

Chopped fresh chives to garnish

1 lb. penne

Cook pasta al dente and keep warm. Saute the onion in the butter until soft about 3 min., add the cinnamon and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the cream, pumpkin and honey and bring to a boil, then simmer until sauce reduces, thickens slightly and pumpkin is heated through, about 3 min. Add cheese and stir until melted, add pasta to pot and toss until heated through Serve at once with chives on top.

*Only heavy cream and half and half can withstand boiling without separating and curdling

Check out the 2 posts I mention above for more recipes and come back next week for other ways to use this wonderful winter produce.

Great Dinner Ideas For Trick Or Treat Night

I remember my parents gearing up for trick or treat night, stacking boxes of candy in the hall closet. When I was small, my Mother would hand out the candy while my Father took me to trick or treat. Then Dad would do candy detail while Mother fed me and got me ready for bed. When I was older and went out later with friends, Mother would feed me an early dinner. Either way, I suppose my parents always ate after the children had stopped coming. I was never concerned with the mechanics of feeding a family on this night, I only registered that it was one night when we never ate together.

That changed when I married a man who had a small daughter and then we had children. Juggling dinner on trick or treat night was a dilemma that continued for many years. The timing wasn’t the problem. Feeding the older ones before going out and the small ones after worked well in the 6-7 P.M. time slot, and we could always eat after the door was shut for the evening. The real question was what to serve?

I couldn’t cook two meals in one night. I simply didn’t have the time, not to mention that starting after the trick or treaters had finished would make the second one too late. So I began by making casseroles ahead to bake that evening. This was fine for the children’s early “sittings” but ours always tasted either dry or a bit left-over. Then I tried making the casserole in two parts, again it was fine for the children, but ours took the time to cook, which didn’t sit well with my hungry husband. Next came frozen dinners, never a favorite in our house to begin with, and again was told they took too long. One year we experimented with take-out. The kids loved it, but several hours later ours was not so good, to be kind.

In retrospect, I don’t know what took me so long to come to the realization that the perfect solution is a big pot of soup. The cost could be controlled, there are plenty of options, it could be made ahead, kept warm for long periods and unlike stews with occasional stirring, won’t burn to the bottom of the pot. It can be eaten in small amounts at will, requires few utensils, making for easy clean-up and can be made more substantial with the addition of finger foods, like bread, muffins and simple sandwiches.

The trick is to choose a thick and hearty soup the whole family likes. Broth based soups spill too easily spotting costumes and excited children in a hurry don’t stop to chew chunks of meat and vegetables. Thick, pureed soups can be sipped from mugs and are far easier to serve people on the run or those who just want to relax in an easy chair. Better still, they’re vegetable based, but with the addition of herbs and spices, children actually like them.

Another plus is that many of these soups can be created using frozen or canned vegetables which cuts the cooking time as well as the cost. Peas, cauliflower, broccoli, as long as you check that the stems are trimmed, asparagus, corn, beans and tomatoes are several of the prime examples. Simply substitute them in proportion to the fresh stated in a recipe. I recommend using broth* in place of water or perhaps an envelope of bouillon granules to simmer. A quick and easy way to thicken these soups is to add instant potato flakes to desired consistency. Actually, instant potatoes are wonderful bases for soups in themselves. Two examples are included with the recipes below.

To many people, making soup or stew implies using a crock pot or slow cooker. I prefer the conventional stove-top method for three reasons: One, vegetable based soups, even those with dried beans, don’t take more than a couple of hours and it’s better to check seasonings as they cook; Two, crock pots are not recommended to keep foods warm for long periods or for reheating; Three, the soups have to be cooled and pureed, and usually taste better the next day or so which is an advantage to making them ahead. They can be cooked, blended returned to the same pot, stored and reheated in it, which means the conventional method is more efficient.

However for those devoted to the slow cooker, I’m including some recipes as well as a conversion chart to change recipes to crock-pots or reverse them to stove top. One word of caution, please know your appliances and remember that slow cooker recipes require less fat and more liquid than conventional ones do. So make allowances and adjustments. If you have doubts, stick with the recipe recommendation and consult appliance directions.

 

CONVERSION CHART

 

IF RECIPE SAYS:                                     COOK LOW                                 COOK HIGH

15-30 minutes                                               4-6 hours                                     11/2-2 hours

35 – 45 minutes                                           6- 10 hours                                   3- 4 hours

50 minutes to 3 hours                                8- 18 hours                                   4- 6 hours

 

One other tip for keeping soups, or any dishes, hot for long periods; any type of peppers, or any seasonings containing them will intensify with prolonged heat. Add only the stated amount at first and correct as served. To cool over spiced food, chill until desired spice level is reduced to taste.

 

CONVENTIONAL SOUP RECIPES;

The recipes for Black Bean and White Bean Soup are included in my last posting: Revisiting Dollar Stores.

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP: Serves 6-8

(1) 1lb bag dried lentils
7 cups water
1 cup strong red wine—Burgundy or Chianti
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. garlic powder
(1) 14 ½ oz. can sliced carrots- with liquid divided
3 large onions chopped
2 Tbs. oil
3 Tbs. tomato paste or ½ cup diced tomato= 1 small or plum type
In a large stockpot, sauté the onion in the oil until soft; add the lentils, water and carrot liquid. Cover and simmer 45-55 min. until lentils are soft.  Add the wine, ½ the carrots, garlic and tomato. Simmer 5 min. and add vinegar. Stir well to combine. Cut the remaining half can of carrot slices in half. Puree 2/3 of the soup until smooth. Return to pot. Puree the remaining 1/3 soup until coarsely chopped, add chopped carrots and return to pot stirring both textures together. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or cold. Better the next day, keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week and freezes for 2 months .I like to serve the bowls garnished with a dollop of sour cream.

 

POTATO SOUP: Serves 4

Traditionally, this soup is made by sautéing leeks in butter, then adding raw potatoes and broth. When the vegetables are soft, it’s pureed and thickened by making a form of white sauce with flour, butter and broth. Some recipes call for onions and a bit of garlic in place of the leeks. Either way it’s a fairly easy soup to make, but this is the emergency version from pantry supplies.

VERSION # 1

2 large onions-chopped

1 qt. chicken broth*

1 cup milk

@2 cups instant mashed potato flakes (unseasoned)

Salt and pepper

Sauté onions in oil and/or butter until soft. Add liquid, bring to a simmer and add potato flakes until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt, pepper and optionally, a pinch of nutmeg.

VERSION #2

1 envelope Knorr Leek Soup Mix

1 qt. chicken broth*

2 cups milk OR 1 cup half and half or light cream

@ 2 cups instant mashed potato flakes

Salt and pepper

Bring liquid to a simmer and add soup mix and potato flakes until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.

Both versions can be served hot, cold or kept frozen. #2 is great chilled.

 

PEA SOUP WITH MINT; Serves 2 in bowls.

Following the steps above, I sautéed a medium onion in 1Tbs. canola oil, then added 1lb. of frozen peas, 3 sprigs of fresh mint and 1qt. of chicken broth*. After simmering them for 20 min. they were pureed and, needing no other seasoning, chilled. They were garnished with sour cream and a sprig of fresh mint.
Two variations of this soup would be to add either a package of frozen or ½ lb. fresh asparagus stalks to the peas (saving the tips for garnish) OR omit the mint, and add a box of frozen, chopped spinach and a 1/8^th tsp. nutmeg to the peas. Proceed as above and garnish with a swirl of plain yogurt.

 

CARROT SOUP; Serves 2 in bowls.

To the sautéed onion, I added 1lb peeled, sliced carrots (not the baby ones) and about 3 cups chicken broth* to cover. After pureeing, I divided it into two bowls and added 1/8^th tsp. ground ginger and 1Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate to one, and 1/8^th tsp. coriander and 2tsp. chopped fresh cilantro to the other. They were served chilled and garnished with orange peels on one and a sprig of cilantro on the other.
Two variations of this soup would be to add ½ a peeled, cored apple per serving, before cooking, and substitute cider or apple juice for some of the broth with a pinch of cinnamon for seasoning OR replace the other seasonings with 1/4tsp curry powder.

Both the above soups can be fortified with potato.

 

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3 Tbs. oil
1 medium onion – in fine dice
2 garlic cloves – chopped
(1) 10 oz. box of frozen, chopped spinach –drained liquid reserved
½ cup + 2 Tbs. long grain rice, suitable for risottos Or 1 box rice mix, flavor optional
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
5 ½ cups vegetable or beef broth*, including reserved spinach liquid. Or amount required by package directions, balance held in reserve.
1 cup diced cooked ham or other meat-@ 6oz. deli sliced is fine(optional)
Grated cheese for garnish
Cook the onion in the oil until soft, add the garlic and cook 3 min. more. Add the rice and coat well with the oil. Add 3 cups of stock and simmer until rice is just about done 10 to 15 min. depending on type of rice used, adding more liquid as needed.  Add seasonings, stir in spinach, meat, if using, and remaining reserved liquid. Simmer until rice is tender. Add additional liquid for a thinner consistency. Serve at room temperature garnished with shaved Parmesan, Romano or Pecorino cheese.

 

CORN CHOWDER; Serves 4-6

(2)15oz. cans cream style corn

2 Tbs. butter

1small onion minced

3Tbs.flour

4 cups milk—not whole

1 bay leaf

1 clove

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch thyme

Salt and pepper

½ cup Half and Half or heavy cream

Sauté the onion in the butter until soft; stir in the flour to make a paste then add the milk and stir at a simmer until thickened. Add the corn and seasonings; simmer for 5 min.– OPTION: Allow to cool and blend until smooth. Return to pot and reheat—Add cream and stir until thickened a bit more, Add more cream if needed to reach desired constancy. Garnish with paprika and serve warm or chilled..

 

CROCK POT RECIPES

 

TURKEY-BEAN SOUP:  Serves 10-12dium onion chopped

1lb. ground turkey

1 medium onion chopped

1 small green bell pepper chopped

(3) 16 oz. cans of beans mixed-kidney, pinto, white or black-only 1 can drained

(1) 28 oz. can diced tomatoes undrained

(1) 8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 cups sliced carrots

1 Tbs. minced garlic

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

3 cups chicken broth*

Salt and pepper

Brown meat, onion, bell pepper and garlic in a non-stick skillet. Drain fat. Place in a crock pot, add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cook on Low 8-10 hours or High 4-5 hours. Before serving, mash beans with a fork to thicken the soup.

 

CREAM OF VEGETABLE SOUP; Serves 12

¼ cup margarine or butter- melted

3 medium sweet potatoes peel and chopped

1 large onion chopped

2 medium potatoes chopped fine

3 zucchini chopped

10 oz. package frozen broccoli pieces –thawed

3 cups chicken broth*

½ tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. cumin

2 cups milk

Salt and pepper

Stir all ingredients except milk in a Crock Pot. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High 4-5 hours. Add milk and cook on Low 30 min. to 1 hour. Do not allow to curdle. Fork mash ingredients before serving.

*The Dollar Store sells a beef or chicken broth of quality equal to the top name brands in quart containers.

May these help to make Halloween night a treat for you!

Awesome DIY Sauces For Pasta- Part II

Here are the rest of the promised pasta sauces. If you look at the recipes as a whole, you can see how easy, even economical, yet how elegant they are. These are recipes that take little time on a week night, can serve guests, and with few alterations, become signature dishes. To alter the appearance of the dish to suit the occasion, simply change the type of pasta. Some are more decorative than others, especially in the shape varieties. In choosing pasta don’t forget the general rules as reported in last week’s posting.

“Selection of the shape should be determined by the sauce being served. The rule of thumb is that longer strands carry smooth, more fluid sauces well as they entwine on the fork. Chunky sauces are best served with shaped pasta, allowing the different morsels to be trapped in the indentations; the more robust the sauce, the bigger the pasta shape needed. Large flat noodles are preferred for bedding ample pieces of the entrée, slices of meat or whole pieces of seafood. They are also excellent for layering baked dishes.”

A few substitution suggestions of dried pasta shapes, with plain on the left and fancy on the right, would be:

Rigatoni or Macaroni —Lumaconi, Orecchiette, Large Sardi or Large Shells Penne –Cavatelli, Small Sardi or Small Shells

“However choice of pasta is purely personal. It’s important to pair a sauce with the pasta that will best deliver it, but it’s equally important to have the pasta cooked correctly Over cooked pasta becomes soft and unable to carry the sauce. Do pay attention to the package directions. They vary with the texture and shape of the pasta. Here’s a tip, most chefs in Italy cook pasta in broth, even if only envelope of bouillon granules in the water, it gives the dish extra flavor. Here’s another, don’t add oil to the water. It may stop the pasta from sticking together, but it also prevents the sauce from adhering to the pasta.”

This week’s listing has more sauces containing meat than last, but again most of those that don’t can be adjusted with the addition of 1 cup diced cooked poultry or ham. Just bear in mind that attempting to change any into a meat based sauce will drastically change texture, cooking time and taste.

 

Basil and Prosciutto Sauce

¼ cup oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1/1/2 cup julienned prosciutto

Dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce

Salt and pepper

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Saute the garlic over low heat in the oil until soft. Add the basil and prosciutto, toss in the pan and add seasonings to taste. Toss with hot pasta, add cheese and toss again.

 

Smoked Turkey, Pine nuts and Rosemary

3 Tbs. oil

½ cup pine nuts- or chopped walnuts

1 cup smoked turkey – dices

1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbs. orange zest

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper

Gently heat the first 4 ingredients until nuts toast slightly. Season, add the other ingredients and heat through. Toss with pasta.

 

Pancetta Hazelnuts and Garlic

1 cup pancetta – diced

½ cup skinned chopped hazelnuts

2 cloves of garlic julienned

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

Heat pancetta over low heat until fat renders. Add nuts and julienned garlic and continue cooking until nuts toast slightly. Season to taste and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss with hot spaghetti.

 

Tomato Vinaigrette – This can be done with canned tomatoes but is better with fresh. It’s a good way to use up bruised or end of season items. This can be used as a salad dressing as well as over pasta.

4 cups crushed tomatoes

¼ cup virgin olive oil

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Cook the tomatoes over low heat until thick, stirring frequently, Force them through a fine strainer. Discard solids. Whisk strained juice with oil and vinegar. Season to taste.

Sun-Dried Tomato Rouille

10 Sun-Dried tomatoes + 1/3 cup of their preserving oil

1 bunch chopped basil

1Tbs.oil

1 clove garlic minced

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan

Puree all ingredients in a blender. Toss with pasta.

 

Marinated Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

12 diced sun-dried tomatoes+ their oil

1 clove minced garlic

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Toss tomatoes and garlic with hot pasta. Add parsley and cheese and toss again. Serve.

 

Son-Dried Tomato and Tuna Sauce

2 4 oz. cans solid white tuna – drained

8 oil cured sun-dried tomatoes – halved

3 finely sliced scallions- white and light green parts only

2 Tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. lemon juice

3 Tbs. oil

Salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients together with hot pasta. Season and serve.

 

Tonnato Sauce

4 Tbs. oil

1 clove minced garlic

10 oz. can solid white tuna drained

2 cups tomato sauce

3 Tbs. lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Saute the garlic in the oil 10 sec. Add the tomato sauce, stir well and heat through. Add the tuna and lemon juice, stir gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper; toss with pasta and serve.

 

Tapenade Sauce

1cup chopped oil-cured black olives

1chopped garlic clove

2 anchovies

¼ to 1/3 cup olive oil – to desired consistency
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Salt and pepper

Blend first 3 ingredients, add in oil to achieve the right consistency. Season and toss with pasta.

 

Chicken and Olive Sauce

½ lb. diced chicken breast meat

2 Tbs. oil – divided

2 tbs. minced onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

¾ cup white wine

18 pitted black olives

2 tsp. chopped parsley

Cook chicken in 1 Tbs. oil until no longer raw looking. Add onion and garlic for 30 sec. Add wine and boil for 1 min. Add olives and cook 1 min. Season, swirl in the other 1 Tbs. oil and parsley. Toss with pasta.

 

Pepper and Anchovy Sauce

4 roasted red bell peppers julienned (jarred is fine)

16 julienned anchovy fillets

2 Tbs. capers

1 clove minced garlic

Dash dried oregano

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to rest for a couple of hours. Toss with hot pasta.

 

Roasted Pepper and Walnut Sauce

2 large roasted red peppers, seeded, skinned and diced (jarred is fine)

¼ cup olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

Salt and pepper

¼ cup chopped walnuts – preferable toasted

2 Tbs. ground parmesan

1lb. pasta

Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and allow to stand for at least 1 hour. Test seasoning and toss with hot pasta, then toss again adding the nuts and cheese. Serve at once.

 

Variation; Pepper and Olive Sauce*: Substitute ½ cup chopped oil-cured black olives for the nuts in the above recipe and add them to the bowl with the peppers. Proceed as directed above.

*This recipe is equally delicious substituting skinless, seeded plum tomatoes for the peppers.

 

Ricotta and Roasted Pepper Sauce

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

1-2 tsp. hot pepper oil

Salt and pepper

1 tbs. butter

2 Tbs. grated parmesan

½ cup room temperature ricotta

2 tbs. chopped parsley

1 lb. hot pasta

Char he skins of the peppers under a broiler or over a gas flame. Cool in a closed paper bag, then use fingers to rub the skins from the peppers, seed and dice. Saute the peppers in the olive oil for 2 min. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot pepper oil. Toss with hot pasta, adding the remaining ingredients. Serve at once.

 

Three Pepper Sauce

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

3 Tbs. olive oil

½ tsp. hot pepper oil

Salt and pepper

1 lb. pasta

¼ cup grated Parmesan

1 tbs. chopped parsley

Follow recipe directions for Ricotta and Roasted pepper sauce. Prepare peppers and sauté, season, toss with hot pasta, add cheese and parsley. Serve at once.

 

Mussels in White Sauce*

1 medium onion chopped

4cloves garlic –minced

2Tbs.oil + more if needed

1 cup white wine

2 tsp. dill – optional

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 lemon-juiced

2 doz. Cleaned and bearded mussel

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until soft, add the wine, lemon juice and dill, if using. Bring to a boil and add the mussels, cover and simmer 2 min. discard any thet don’t open. Add the parsley and more oil if desired. Serve hot over pasta.

 

Mussels in Red Sauce*

6 Tbs. oil

1clove garlic minced

1 Tbs. parsley

1 cup diced canned tomatoes with liquid

Dash cayenne pepper

2 doz. cleaned, bearded mussels

Lightly brown the garlic in the oil. Add the next 3 ingredients and simmer for 20 min. Add the mussels and simmer 2-3 min. until they open. Discard any that don’t open and serve at once over hot pasta.

*Frozen mussel meat can be substituted for the fresh ones. To compensate for the loss of their natural juices, add ¼ cup white wine and a pinch of salt, if needed.

Awesome DIY Sauces For Pasta- Part I

Two weeks ago when I wrote about great week day dinners, I deliberately glossed over probably the most popular, easy DIY meal choice, pasta, because with its many forms and acceptance of an infinite variety of sauces it’s worthy of its own discussion. So, I’m going to write two articles, this week and next concentrating on a number of easy sauces, over 30 of them in fact, too many recipes for one posting.

Commercially, two types of pasta are available, fresh and dried. Originally all pasta was home made, and a couple of decades ago pasta machines were all the rage. Properly made fresh pasta can be delicious, but it can also be heavy, sticky and tend to fall apart. Even when I lived in Italy, years ago, dried was the preferred choice of most cooks because it’s consistent in quality and easily controlled in cooking to be rendered al dente.

Selection of the shape should be determined by the sauce being served. The rule of thumb is that longer strands carry smooth, more fluid sauces well as they entwine on the fork. Chunky sauces are best served with shaped pasta, allowing the different morsels to be trapped in the indentations; the more robust the sauce, the bigger the pasta shape needed. Large flat noodles are preferred for bedding ample pieces of the entrée, slices of meat or whole pieces of seafood. They are also excellent for layering baked dishes.

However choice of pasta is purely personal. It’s important to pair a sauce with the pasta that will best deliver it, but it’s equally important to have the pasta cooked correctly Over cooked pasta becomes soft and unable to carry the sauce. Do pay attention to the package directions. They vary with the texture and shape of the pasta. Here’s a tip, most chefs in Italy cook pasta in broth, even if only envelope of bouillon granules in the water, it gives the dish extra flavor. Here’s another, don’t add oil to the water. It may stop the pasta from sticking together, but it also prevents the sauce from adhering to the pasta.

Most of the sauces I include below are meatless, but many will accept the addition of meat. Again the decision is personal, but my recommendation, especially for the sauces with fresh produce, would be cooked ham or poultry, possibly seafood. Some of the sauces may even be used to top slices of leftover roast and bedded on pasta for an easy entrée. I would avoid adding ground meat unless indicated in the recipe because it will not only change the texture of the sauce, but can be difficult to incorporate into the cooking process and may lead to unpleasant results.

All recipes serve 4.

Tomato, Basil and Feta:
1 clove garlic – split
1 Tbs. oil
8 peeled seeded and chopped plumb tomatoes, canned is fine, OR (1/2) 28oz can diced
1/3 cup dry vermouth
Salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne – optional
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbs. dried
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Sauté garlic in oil for 1 min. Add tomatoes and wine and sauté over high heat until alcohol has evaporated. Season to taste, toss in basil and cook 20 sec. Remove garlic, add pasta and heat through and serve with cheese on top.

Fast Fresh Tomato Sauce:
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic – minced
2 Tbs. oil
1dried chili pepper
1 roasted red pepper – chopped—canned is fine
12 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and coarsely chopped
Tbs. Tomato paste
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs of choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook onion, garlic and chili in oil until onion is soft. Add tomatoes, red pepper and cook until tomatoes release their juice. Add tomato paste and herbs and seasonings. Cook 1 min. Remove chili and toss with pasta.

Variation: Ginger Sauce; Omit chili, red pepper and cayenne. Sauté 2Tbs. chopped fresh ginger root with the onion. Add a pinch of sugar with the salt and pepper. Substitute 2 Tbs. chopped fresh coriander for the herbs. Toss with pasta and serve.

Tomato Sauce with Tequila and Cream:
2 cloves garlic minced
3 Tbs. oil
½ tsp. crushed pepper
12 skinned, seeded plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped – canned is fine
½ cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. tequila
Salt and pepper

Sauté garlic in the oil until aromatic, stir in pepper and add tomatoes and cook until fresh ones release their juice or the juice from the canned ones reduces. Add cream and stir until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in tequila. Season with salt and pepper, toss with pasta and serve.

Creamy Tomato Sauce with Herbs:
2 Tbs. minced onions
2 Tbs. oil
½ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbs. lemon zest
Pinch each dried thyme, marjoram, basil
½ cup heavy cream
12 skinned, seeded coarsely chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Cook onion in oil until softened. Add parsley, zest and dried herbs. Cook 1 min. until blended, add tomatoes and cook until they release their juice Add cream and simmer for about 1 min. until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper, toss with pasta and serve.

Feta and Artichoke Sauce:
12 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
¼ lb. crumbled feta
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Mix artichokes and feta in a bowl and set aside for at least 1 hr. Toss with hot pasta adding parsley and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Artichoke and Mushroom Sauce:
12 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 tsp. oil
8 button mushrooms sliced
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Sauté the garlic in the oil. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juice; add artichokes and parsley and heat through. Season with salt and pepper and toss with pasta.

Mushroom Persillade
1 medium onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 Tbs. oil
It may consist of prosthetic rod may be placed improperly. unica-web.com order viagra online Inability to achieve levitra properien full satisfaction during intercourse can be extremely frustrating for both partners. Apple, strawberry, chocolate, sildenafil best price mint, orange etc are the most preferred flavors of the Kamagra jellies and the soft tablets. You can prescription viagra http://unica-web.com/watch/2012/touch-up-dance.html place your order at the online store is more reliable for Kamagra buy as the medicines sold here are manufactured by top most pharmaceutical companies. 1 lb. button mushrooms diced
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. tomato paste
½ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until softened. Add the mushroom and cook until they release their juice, about 8 min. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the tomato paste and parsley, cook 1 min. Toss with pasta.

Sausage and Mushroom Sauce:
1lb. any sausage of choice
¼ cup chopped onion
2cloves garlic minced
8 sliced mushrooms
½ cup red wine
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Dried basil and oregano to taste
Salt and pepper
Sauté sausage until no longer pink, add onion and cook until meat begins to brown. Add mushrooms and sauté until they soften; add wine and stir well to incorporate. Add tomatoes and seasonings and simmer to meld flavors and reduce to thicken slightly. Toss with pasta, serve hot with grated cheese.

Green Parsley Pasta:
2 shallots minced
1 clove garlic minced
¼ cup oil
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Sauté shallots and garlic in oil over low heat until soft. Add parsley and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with pasta once then toss again with Parmesan.

Cheese and Cream Sauce:
2 cups heavy cream or half and half
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Bring cream to a boil and stirring constantly cook until it reduces by 1/3rd and thickens. Add the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with pasta and garnish with chopped parsley.
Note: Only heavy cream and half and half can be boiled without curdling

Scallop and Herbed-Cheese Sauce:
1 Tbs. onion chopped
1Tbs.oil
1cup white wine
1Tbs. lemon juice
¾ lb. bay scallops
4 oz. herbed cream cheese
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. parsley
Sauté onion in the oil until soft. Add wine and lemon juice. Reduce by half. Add scallops and poach until firm about1 min. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until smooth, season with salt and pepper, then add parsley. Toss with pasta.

Low Fat- Low Sodium Pesto”
2 cups chopped basil leaves
1 clove garlic minced
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend everything until smooth. Toss with pasta.

Shrimp Cucumber and Dill Sauce
1 medium cucumber peeled seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
4 tbs. butter
1 bunch of scallions-whit parts only chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 cup white wine
1 Tbs. chopped dill
1 cup half and half
1 lb. raw shelled and cleaned shrimp
Sprinkle salt over cucumber in a bowl and allow to sit for 20 min. Rinse well and drain then chill. Sauté scallions and garlic in butter until soft, add wine and reduce by half, add shrimp and dill. Cook until shrimp are pink, add cream and simmer to reduce and thicken slightly, add reserved cucumber just to heat through and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve over pasta.

Variation; smoked Salmon. Use above ingredients but substitute 1/4lb. julienned smoked salmon for the shrimp. Follow directions as above but add the salmon with the reserved cucumber at the end.

White Clam Sauce
1 small onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbs. oil
1 cup white wine
2 tsp. dill
1 lemon –juiced
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 Tbs. butter
2 doz. Littleneck clams*
Sauté the garlic and onion in the oil until softened, add the wine lemon and ill. Bring to a boil, add the clams, Simmer 5 min. to open (discard any that don’t) Remove shells, stir in parsley and butter. Toss with pasta.
*A 10 oz. can of whole baby clams can be substituted for the fresh ones. Drain juice and add it to the pot with the wine. Allow to reduce slightly and add the clams with the parsley, just heat through.

Keep On Grillin’

Due to computer problems I had difficulty writing the post I’d planned for this week. Then I remembered this article from 2013 and pulled it from the Archives. People really liked it then, I hope you all like it as much now.

KEEP ON GRILLIN’
I grew up in a seaside resort where grilling was a part of the summer lifestyle long before it became a national or gourmet passion. There were homes built with masonry barbecues in the backyard dating to the 1920s. Summer is the backbone of the town’s economy and a major portion of the year is spent planning for it. The anticipation builds from Easter to the official start, Memorial Day. By comparison, labor Day, no matter how often you’ve lived through it, is always a shock, The day after is surreal. Gone are the visitors, the guards from the beach and the boats from the bay, but more importantly gone is the atmosphere of the season. Everything seems quieter, and if you close your eyes, even the air smells different. The tang of suntan lotion is missing, but so is the aroma of charcoal. The grills are covered for the winter, because the days are shorter, school has started, scheduling has become important and there isn’t time to fire up the coals and wait for dinner to cook. The introduction of gas grills didn’t change attitudes much either and not just in resort towns.They heated faster but were more difficult to clean and still uncomfortable to use in cold weather. Grilling remained a warm weather, outdoor thing.
Well that was then and this is now! As you all know, grilling isn’t just for summer or the outdoors anymore. In one form or another it’s available to everyone, year round, even a center city loft dweller or a college student in a dorm room. All that’s needed is a gas or electric hot plate, or even just an electric outlet. It’s amazing how popular indoor grilling has become since the introduction of the contact grill, commonly known as the George Foreman Grill, in 1994. In less than 10 years, it was accepted as an optional cooking method in everyday meal planning.
This is not to say that indoor grilling was an unknown concept before 1994.Counter top rotisseries have been around at least since the 1950s. My first house had a gas range that predated Teflon. It had a stainless grill, smooth on one side and ridged on the other, that fit over two burners. It worked so well, especially for pancakes, that I bought a non-stick one for the next house. In the mid 80s I gave my mother a “Hamburger & Sandwich Grill” that had a series of interchangeable, non-stick surfaces for different uses. The ridged grill pan, brought to “The Colonies” from France, and always used in restaurants, now, has found its way into the home. The contact grill has an ancestor in the Italian Panini machine. Man’s most ancient way of cooking, over the open hearth, though never abandoned in other countries, but
unpracticed here for more than a century, has had a resurgence, and the “spit “used to rotate food, has its own cookers, as well as a place in the completely modern convection ovens. The more recent innovation, the gas grill, also, has been updated to a version that sits in a counter top. There’s even a wood smoker that’s been adapted for stove top use to get that real barbeque flavor. The only thing that hasn’t moved into the kitchen is the charcoal briquette, but with proper venting, who knows?
In the less than twenty years since we were offered the option of, not only grilling indoors, but doing so affordably, seven methods of grilling have been transformed into kitchen appliances. Those appliances have been modified into variations presented by different manufacturers, and cover a wide price range. It’s up to you to decide which method(s) suit your cooking preferences, lifestyle and budget.
1) Contact Grills are the most popular method of indoor grilling. The best known is the Forman Grill which has hinged, non-stick ridged surfaces to cook both sides of the food simultaneously, cutting the cooking time in half. It also has a drip pan to catch any fat that’s rendered, making it a healthy way to prepare food. This grill is wonderful for making sandwiches, burgers, chicken fillets, fish steaks and anything crusted. I, personally, don’t like to use it for cuts of beef, because the pressure tends to make them steam in their own juice, rather than broil. For those I use a round contact grill with a domed glass lid and wide temperature range. Most contact grills are easy to use, needing only to be plugged in to start, and the surfaces wiped to clean. They seem to be durable too. I’ve never had trouble with mine, and, in fact, still use the sandwich one I gave my Mother years ago. Just be sure that the grill you get has adjustable temperature control, an “ON” indicator light, a drip pan, non-stick surfaces with easy clean up and has enough power to brown and sear food, usually that’s a grill that can hold at least 4 burgers.
2) Grill Pans are probably the simplest method of indoor grilling, and the easiest to store. Since it’s a pan on top of the stove, you control the temperature. Chefs like heavy iron ones because they insure even cooking by distributing the heat evenly. Those with high ridges, give the best grill marks. In fact, they’re often used to prepare food for photography. Grill pans can be heated enough to give food the traditional seared flavor because indoor grilling, itself, doesn’t impart a unique flavor, but preheating should start on medium and be allowed to build. Food should be wiped dry of any marinade to avoid burning. To prevent sticking, the pan’s ridges can be lightly oiled. Stick resistant and enameled surfaces must be allowed to cool before immersing them in water, and “tempering” repeated as per the manufacturer’s directions. Grill pans, which come in many shapes and sizes, are the most economical of the indoor grilling methods, and the most durable. I still use the double- sided flat grill that covers two burners. It’s great for larger quantities, and the model is still advertised on T.V. quite reasonably.
Sure, in the past you’ve dismissed it, but it can have its viagra australia advantages. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also the culprit many cialis viagra for women times. This statement coming from them isn’t completely wrong since a lot of women viagra uk without prescription are a size 12 or above. Nitrates are also found in some recreational drugs such as Kamagra and steal here generic levitrae widely renowned for their effectiveness in treating one of the mostcommon sexual troubles, but the treatment that is not known by many is Penile Prostheses, also called penile implants. 3) Built-In Grills work like outdoor gas grills but function with either gas or electric. Some are part of the stove, and some are separate units recessed into the counter top. The gas ones use the same type of bricks as the outdoor models, and the electric ones resemble an inverted broiler. Both have downdraft exhaust systems that suck smoke through vents on the sides, and both emit that tempting sizzle sound
when food goes on the grill rack. I don’t have one, but have cooked on several, and learned they can be very different. Good ones are great, but bad ones don’t have good temperature control, heat unevenly or simply don’t get hot enough to cook properly. They are an investment, so before buying ask for a store demonstration, or for the names of cooking schools or organizations using that brand or just for recommendations. Also research if the size is a comfortable fit, if it has a drip pan, if the grid is non-stick and large enough to score the food well, if it’s easy to clean, and remember to check the exhaust.
4) Freestanding Grills are a confusing category, since most grills are freestanding. These are small grills that can be placed on a table to cook and serve. Usually they resemble contact grills, but I have one that looks like a miniature electric built-in grill. Though a few have power enough to cook a small thin steak, most don’t. They were designed for tiny, fast but delicate jobs like appetizers or fruit garni. I used mine for shrimp and pineapple-ham kabobs, thinking it would be a novel way to serve guests, but it wasn’t. The surface was too small for more than 6 to 8 pieces at once, and even the 4 mins average cook time allowed time for people to be distracted, and leave the food to burn. It was more successful with fruit kabobs for dessert toppings. It held enough for everyone. I could watch it myself and it was a distraction between courses, but how often am I going to want to serve this type of dessert? I’m glad it was a gift! Had I bought it, I’d have second thoughts.
5) The Rotisserie is familiar to everyone. The discovery of using a spit for cooking followed right after that of fire; man’s first BRB. Since primitive man built fires in his cave, I guess it can be considered the first example of indoor grilling too. It became part of the kitchen fireplace and It stayed there for centuries, until the invention of ranges with ovens replaced fireplaces as cooking centers. Unable to give up the even roasting and succulent taste of spit cooked meat, we first attached spits to our outdoor barbeques, then, in the 1950s, indoor, counter top rotisseries appeared. The advantage of these inventions is that the reflective sides provide an indirect heat source that focuses on the meat, which, along with the spit’s rotations, assure even cooking and shorten the time frame. A drip pan makes clean up easier and the introduction of attaching baskets permit many more types of foods to be cooked such as vegetables and fish, though large roasts and whole birds are still the stars of rotisserie cooking. Choose one that’s heavy duty, with enough power to sear meat, of course, temperature control, and a spit strong enough to hold 15lbs. It should be rust resistant, have a drip pan, a glass door, easy assembly and the parts dishwasher safe. It should also have a timer and come with accessory baskets for other foods. Some chefs prefer horizontal to vertical orientation for better self basting.
6) Smokers are possibly the least familiar of indoor grilling methods. They resemble the old fireplace tool for popping corn, a fairly shallow, rectangular metal box with a sliding lid and a long handle. Inside are a drip pan and a wire rack to hold the food. Designed for thin foods like chops, rather than ribs or roasts, it uses the sawdust from different woods instead of chips, fits on top of the stove, stores easily and

produces an authentic smoked flavor in twenty minutes. There are also models available for larger quantities. Once again when buying, be sure it’s sturdy, the lid fits and slides well, all the parts are included and the manufacturer supplies the sawdust.
7) The Fireplace, as mentioned, man’s oldest method of cooking was never replaced in many parts of the world and is enjoying resurgence with the interest in indoor grilling, through a contraption called a Tuscan Grill. This can be bought in a heavy duty, non stick version, with adjustable side supports and an optional rotisserie attachment, or home made. Obviously only for wood burning fireplaces, it consists of a grill rack suspended above hot coals in front of the fire on the hearth. Whether the rack is held by a manufactured structure or a couple of bricks, the results are similar. Coals from the fire are placed under the rack and when it’s heated, the food is put on it to cook. The outcome depends on the chef’s skill, but anyone with experience in outdoor barbequing, shouldn’t have trouble. Just be sure, if you make your own, you use a rack of a weight intended for barbeque, and, if the food being grilled is fatty, I would suggest an aluminum pan on top of the coals to catch the drippings and prevent flare-ups.
*** I love fireplace grilling. It’s so family friendly, but the Tuscan Grill method seems to me potentially dangerous, and messy. Today, most fireplaces are decorative and in rooms where we entertain. The heat from the coals, the ash residue and possible fat splatter could permanently stain a hearth or worse. For years, I have used one of the little, two rack, metal hibachis, sold everywhere in summer. I put a foil pan under the hibachi on the hearth, put some coals in it, and grill. While we eat, I let the coals burn the racks clean, and then empty them back into the fire. The pot and racks cool quickly and are ready to be stored by the time we finish. I use a warming tray to hold side dishes, have a salad ready, cut or serve the meat as it comes off the grill, and we eat in front of the fire. A perfect, easy winter Sunday supper!
I can’t believe another holiday has come and this time, will take summer with it, but now, you can still enjoy your favorite tastes of the season long after it’s over, especially since most foods are available all year. In fact, if you like grilling, you can expand your horizons by learning new recipes to use the specialties of each season. Everything that roasts, or broils, can be grilled, and a method of grilling can be found to fit any budget. So enjoy!!