Fall Has Hit - Pumkin Scrumptiousness!

Okay, based on my lack of posts, it looks like I haven't cooked in 2 months. I have but not much. I think I have a couple good finds to eventually get up here but on the most part it was very simple fare around our house for two reason - 1) crazy busy at work so getting home too late to spend any time on dinner, and 2) I fractured my hand so I had a cast - ever tried to prep, cook, clean, etc with a cast? Doesn't work so well. Finally got my cast off late last week.

Anyway, last night we had a hectic evening of gym class but I was determined to make this recipe and ultimately it worked out great with our schedule. I made the rice in the microwave (since I used brown rice it was going to take a long time on the stove - next time I'll try to make the rice a day in advance to make this even easier), cooked the bacon, chopped the cheese and the fresh herbs and smashed the garlic. While the rice was cooking, I opened up the pumpkin and cleaned it out. Stuffed everything in and popped it into the preheated oven... off we went to gym class while it cooked (it needed to cook a good 1 1/2 to 2 hours) and voila, we had an awesome smelling house when we got home and a great dinner too.

Here's the recipe... http://weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-stuffed-with-deliciousness-and.html

Pumpkin Stuffed with Deliciousness and More
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table
Serves 2 as a main course; serves 4 as a side dish

1 3lb sugar pumpkin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled OR 1 sausage chopped (pre cooked kind), OR ham or any other cooked meat
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or pressed (add more if you like)
1/4 lb of cheese - choose cheddar, gruyere, gouda, jack, Emmenthal - cut into cubes (rough chop is fine)
1/4 cup chives or scallions (I used rosemary and sage)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or less depending on how much rice actually fits into the pumpkin)

Preheat oven to 350. Using a sharp knife, cut the top of the pumpkin off. (Inserting your knife at 45 degree angle and slowly cutting around works best.) Carefully remove the top.Scoop out all the seeds and all string. Using a spoon to scrape the inside and then scooping out with your hands is the best method. (Daughters did this.) Season inside liberally with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, get all bacon or sausage, cheese, garlic, chives and rice all mixed together. If you want a short cut, use a pair of scissors to cut up all the ingredients. Season if necessary. (Cheese and bacon will season, but just in case.) Place pumpkin into casserole dish. Take rice filling and begin stuffing the cavity of the pumpkin with the rice mixture. Pack it almost to the top. Carefully pour 1/2 cup of cream over the mixture. You want it well moistened but not swimming in cream. Seal the pumpkin back with the lid.

Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the side of the pumpkin can be easily pierced with a knife. Check oven at 1 1/2 hours to make sure it is not over cooked. (Although it is pretty hard to mess up.)When the pumpkin is tender enough, remove lid.

Begin pulling cooked pumpkin from the side into the center of the rice and mixture and being swirling it together. Scoop out fragrant, steaming spoonfuls into bowls. Enjoy! (I served at the table in the pumpkin and let everyone scooped out their own.)

Verdict: Definitely a keeper. Will be making this again. Presents nicely too. Will probably need to make a double recipe next time. Also, might be able to add some mushrooms and/or a little bit of chopped fresh spinach.

Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Muffins

From the following blog: http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-carrot-and-cranberry-muffins.html

Zucchini, Carrot, and Cranberry Muffins
barely adapted from The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook by John Barricelli
makes 12 muffins

2 C AP flour (used white whole wheat flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 C sugar (used about 3/4 cup instead)
1 C canola oil
2 large eggs, room temp
3/4 C finely grated carrots (approx 1 medium)
3/4 C finely grated zucchini (approx 1 medium)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 C whole fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the cranberries.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Rotate the pan mid way through the baking time.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn out muffins on their side in the muffin cups, and let cool in the pan. Serve warm or at room temp.

Mmmm. Tasty. Made some without cranberries for the pickier kids. My boys LOVE cranberries so they preferred those.

Mini Shells and Cheese Ramekins

From the following blog: http://www.theknead4speed.com/2010/08/lets-go-somewhere-where-theres-cheese/

Mini Shells and Cheese Ramekins

Yield: two 6-ounce or one 10-ounce ramekin(s)

• 2.5 ounces mini shells pasta
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash of cayenne pepper
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided (for topping)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease two 6-ounce ramekins with butter or cooking spray.
2. Place a small pot of water over high heat. Bring water to a boil and then add shell pasta. Cook for 8 minutes and drain.
3. Melt butter in a separate saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring with whisk.
4. Once butter appears slightly foamy, add milk and cook until smooth. Turn off heat.
5. Add cheese and seasonings to hot butter mixture, stirring to combine. Add cooked shell pasta and stir well.
6. Divide shells and cheese between ramekins. Divide 1.5 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese and sprinkle onto pasta.
7. Bake for 11-13 minutes and serve.

Easy, tasty and love that they are made in little individual containers.

Rustic Roasted Chicken

Found this on a food blog... http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/rustic-roasted-chicken

Rustic Roasted Chicken

4 chicken legs (or a couple of bone-in breasts, thighs, etc.)

1 pound small potatoes

1 large carrot

4 big shallots (I've done with just a couple)

5 garlic cloves

1 bell pepper

4 oz bacon

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup water

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt (I've just used regular Kosher salt)

1 tsp sweet paprika powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

fresh sage

Combine the oil with the seasoned salt, paprika powder, and thyme. Place the chicken in a roasting tray and brush with the marinade. Peel the carrot and potatoes (I've not peeled the potatoes) and cut them, along with the bell pepper, in bite-sized pieces. Peek and cut the shallots in half (I've chopped up a bit smaller and prefer it that way). Place the vegetables around the chicken. Toss a few pieces of carrot underneath the chicken to elevate them a little. Cook the bacon until brown (drain fat) (I also under cooked bacon and put on top of chicken at that point) and pour in the white wine and water. Crumble in the chicken bouillon cube and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the liquid and bacon over the potatoes and vegetables. Don't rinse the marinade off the chicken when pouring in the liquid. Randomly throw the unpeeled garlic (I peeled and chopped into 1/4th's) in the tray and add some sage. Roast at 400 F for 55 to 60 minutes. Drizzle cooking juices over the chicken and veggies half way through the cooking time. Remove the charred sage and then serve.

Mmmmm tasty. Can make everything but the bacon and then the white wine water mixture the night before.

Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Muffins

Tried these out tonight... very tasty. Made most without the cranberries since some kids aren't big into those. My boys of course LOVED the ones with the cranberries though.

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup canola oil

2 large eggs, room temp

3/4 cup grated carrots (about 2)

3/4 cup grated zucchini (about 1)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tins

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, b powder, b soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Fold into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-carrot-and-cranberry-muffins.html

Picnic Fare

We went to an outdoor garden concert this last weekend and invited our neighbors. I didn't plan too well in advance but did make one nice dish that turned out to be perfect for something like this and really a nice dish in general for the summer. I made a "normal" tomato, basil, mozzarella salad but augmented it some by using heirloom cherry tomatoes (I cut them in half), very fresh farmers market basil, and a chopped up fresh peach. Added some salt, fresh mozzarella, ground pepper, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Turned our surprisingly tasty. So summery and fresh.

Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal

Great breakfast meal - can combine the dry ingredients, wet ingredients and put fruit in the bottom of the pan (all three separately) and then mix up in the AM quickly.

From Tasty Kitchen (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breakfastbrunch/fruit-on-the-bottom-baked-oatmeal/ )

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fruit (I typically add a little extra fruit)

1/2 cups whole milk (I've used low fat milk which works out fine)

2/3 cup maple syrup

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup butter, divided

2 cup oatmeal

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 T demerara sugar or sucanat, divided

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat over to 350. Melt butter, pour 1/4 cup into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced fruit on top of the butter and sprinkle with 2 T demerara. Set aside. (I've skipped the butter)

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, maple syrup, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over the fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 T demerara.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes, or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk, cream or vanilla sauce.

MMMMM.