Dinner in a Pumpkin

I tried this several years ago and it did NOT work, but for some reason felt the urge to try again this year.  Google "dinner in a pumpkin" and you'll find a zillion different versions.  I sort of took what I wanted from several of them and opted to make my own sauce/gravy instead of using cream of yucky soup.  It worked this time and although not exciting it may be a fun Halloween tradition.

1 pumpkin (maybe 5 lbs?)
1 lb sausage
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 cloves garlic
butter
flour
1 c broth
1 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 c cooked rice (I used brown)
feta

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut the top off the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds (an ice cream scoop works really well).  Brown sausage in a skillet, drain fat, and put browned sausage in the pumpkin.  Dice the vegetables and saute them until soft in the same skillet the sausage was in.  Add them to the pumpkin, too.  Add the rice and stir the contents of the pumpkin so it is evenly distributed.  (You'll want to leave some head space in the top of the pumpkin, a couple inches maybe.)  In the same skillet, melt the butter and scrape the carmelized bits off the bottom.  Add a few tablespoons of flour and cook for a minute.  Add broth and whisk until thickened and bubbly.  Add the milk and warm through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the gravy over the pumpkin contents.  (The pumpkin will release lots of moisture as it cooks, so it doesn't have to be super wet.)  Put the top back on the pumpkin, but the whole thing on a rimmed cookie sheet (it will leak I promise), and put in the oven.  Cook for 2-3 hours.  (I cooked it for 2 1/2 hours and it was very done.)  It is very hot when cooked, so remove from oven and take the top off and let it cool somewhat before serving.  Serve by scraping the pumpkin flesh with the filling.  We ate it, and it was okay, it was pretty bland so we added salt and pepper at the table (I never salt my food so you know it was really bland), but when I ate the leftovers I noticed a block of feta cheese in the fridge.  I crumbled some on top and suddenly YUMMMM.  So this recipe needs a little jazzing up, maybe more onions/garlic and figuring out some additional spices.  And definitely keep the feta.

Farro and Roasted Vegetable Salad (a la Pasta Pomodoro)

Before I forget...

I've made this recipe a few times, and always have to re-remember it each time I do.  I ate a farro and roasted vegetable salad at Pasta Pomodoro a few years ago and loved it.  It isn't always on the menu when I go, maybe it is seasonal?  Anyway, I'm sure I'm not remembering it correctly, but this is at least a start.

Farro can be expensive, but a little bit goes a long way.  It is a very hearty and filling grain, so makes this salad a perfect main dish.  (The first time I ate it, I added shrimp to make sure it filled me up, and of course it was delicious but completely unnecessary.)  If you can't find or afford farro, substitute any grain like rice, quinoa, barley, cracked wheat, even couscous.

1 c farro, cook according to package directions

While still warm, toss with vinaigrette:
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 T maple syrup

Roast vegetables at 400 tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Try to keep them separate since some things cook faster than others, some will be done in 20 minutes, others 30-40.  Take them out when they start to brown.  (Alternately, you can grill them.)

1-2 zucchini, sliced into half moons
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 lb. asparagus, cut on the diagonal

Toss farro with roasted vegetables and kalamata olives, top with shaved parmesan cheese.

I think the original salad I ate might have had sun-dried tomatoes in it.  Many recipes with roasted zucchini also have roasted eggplant, so maybe this one did, too, but I can't remember this one having eggplant.  But I'm sure the vegetables are very interchangeable.

Serve cold, warm, or room temperature.

Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Ok, I admit no one liked these Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese sandwiches except me, but I reeeeeeaaaaalllllly liked them.  I didn't think I liked arugula, but guess what I love it.  

Potato and Leek Chowder

My cousin started a cool website called Rainbow Delicious that has links to recipes and then she compiles a shopping list for you.  Huge timesaver.  HUGE.  And some of the recipes are huge winners, too.  Here was a delicious one for Potato and Leek Chowder, just don't think you can leave it on low while you get some things done and it won't scorch.  Because it does.

Pumpkin Waffles

My biggest issue with pumpkin recipes is they don't have enough pumpkin.  So I spent some time searching and found this recipe had the highest pumpkin ratio.  Since the pumpkin and spices darken the batter, it took a couple tries to realize I needed to cook them longer.  And I liked the counter-intuitive advice to let them cool so they are crispy and flavorful.  Yummy!

Pumpkin Pie Spice

I love love pumpkin pie.  And of course they all taste different, and I like mine the best.  I think it is because of the spices.  Some are cinnamon-y, some use allspice, some are anti-cloves.  So this is the spice combination that I enjoy.  I use it in pumpkin bread, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin smoothies, etc. too.

4 parts cinnamon
1 part nutmeg
1 part ginger
1/2 part cloves

Mix, store in airtight container, use liberally (or as indicated in recipe) for yummy pumpkin treats!

The first time I made it with teaspoons and it was gone too quick.  The next time I made it with tablespoons and that may have been too much!

Vegetarian Chili

So it has been awhile. During my absence, I've decided to eat less meat. Long story that I'll share sometime. I've tried all kinds of wonderful vegetarian recipes and I've loved focusing on nutritious tasty vegetables now that I don't have to think about meat. It really is freeing, and I was surprised to find I don't miss meat at all.

Last week I got a craving for a vegetarian chili. Don't search for a recipe online. There are approximately 19 bizillion so it is virtually impossible to figure out which would be the tastiest. After reading about 6 of the 19 bizillion recipes, and using what I had around, this is what I came up with. Simple to throw together, surprisingly tasty.

1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
8 cloves of garlic, diced
1 28oz can stewed tomatoes
2 15 oz cans black beans
1 15 oz can refried beans (weird, yes, but I ran out of other canned beans and actually it helped to thicken the chili)
1 heaping T chopped chipotles in adobo (I freeze the rest of the can to use in other recipes)
2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1/4 t ginger (I couldn't taste this, but a few different recipes called for it so maybe next time I should add more and/or use fresh to see what this ginger-in-chili business is all about)
cilantro

In a large stockpot with a little olive oil, saute the vegetables until soft. Add them in order since the onions need more time than the zucchini. Add everything else with some water if needed and simmer for 30 minutes. (That is how long it takes to whip up some cornbread---mmmm.) Top with some chopped cilantro.

Something I've discovered now that I don't eat as much meat is getting the right spices or flavorings can make or break any recipe. If you don't have meat to add flavor, you will end up with something boring and unsatisfying unless you replace it with something else interesting. In this chili, I'm pretty sure it is the adobo. I can't handle too much heat, but this had a little kick with a nice smoky flavor. Isn't it great that you can eliminate meat with just a tablespoon of the right flavors? Even if you like eating meat you have to admit that preparing and handling raw meat isn't in your top ten of favorite things to do.