Showing posts with label Pumpkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pumpkin. Show all posts

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sour Cream Sauce 

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 -
Pumpkin never goes out of season. I know this isn't just my opinion. Others clearly think the same. Examples include:
  • The sheer cry of "OMG, pumpkin spiced lattes are back!" as people enter the stores. Let's be honest though...real fans know the release date...it shouldn't surprise anyone.
  • Getting upset and vocally saying to a server at Cheesecake Factory "what do you mean you don't have pumpkin cheesecake yet? It is September after all!"  Settling for red velvet should never be a crime, but sometimes...
  • Getting concerned that a pumpkin shortage may strike again.
  • Having your husband say, "you talk like pumpkins have feelings." when you express how sad you are that some pumpkin don't get to leave the patch.
Clearly, I'm not saying these are prime examples of my behavior, but this gal does love her squash.

Surprising, being November 28, we still have fresh sage in the herb pot on our porch. Yes, we are the ones who haven't dug up the plants, or dried them for future use. We just let the parsley and sage be fall rock stars to say the least. I've utilized the sage on a weekly basis, not wanting to waste anything. But this projected snow may change all of that. It may be time to let go.Until then, I'll continue with the winter sage.

A classic preparation of pumpkin is pasta. Ravioli to be more specific. Normally, I make a brown butter and sage sauce for the rich ravioli, but this time around I tried something a bit different. We had sour cream in the fridge and I thought, "why not?"

Instructions and Ingredients
  1. Grab a pack of wontons or make your own pasta - whatever you are in the mood for. This time around, I grabbed wontons simply because I had them.
  2. Make or buy pumpkin puree. Take about a cup, add some spices (really, this is up to - think a bit of red pepper flakes, a dash of pepper, etc.) and a few fresh sage leaves chopped up. Simple.
  3. Make the ravioli by spooning about a teaspoon of the filling into a wonton wrapper and folding nicely (or messy - really up to you).
  4. Add ravioli to a boiling pot of salted water and cook until done - a few minutes will be perfect.
  5. While the ravioli are cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add 1/2 a cup of sour cream. Add some garlic powder, pepper and a chopped sage leaf and let it all come together to form a sauce. Serve over pasta, and sprinkle with some Parmesan and fried sage leaves if you'd like.
The pasta filling made around 3 dozen for me. We had some that night, freezed the rest (without the sauce) and had them a different night with leftovers for the next day.  The sauce above is enough for two servings - about a dozen raviolis. Make to your liking and tweak as you feel is appropriate by all means.

And then raise your fist and say "live on pumpkin. Live on."

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Fall Harvest Dinner 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 -
When you have friends who can cook, you eat.  That's the rule.  My friends can cook.  Every year, Rachel & Josh host a group of friends to enjoy the tastes of fall.  A quick history lesson - a group of friends get together on an annual basis to celebrate the flavors of fall.  Delicious - my kind of thing for sure.  I happily taste as much as I can while I'm there, and this year was no different.


I wanted to share with you a few photos and comment on some of the delicious food.


Wild Mushroom Risotto - creamy, delicious and oh so perfect.  I had not one, but two servings.  Maybe this is because of my recent risotto kick?  Or maybe it was because it was just plain delicious.  Kudos Unrue brothers!


Pumpkin soup - when I saw the cans and cans of pumpkin puree, I knew Rachel was serving up her pumpkin soup.  Creamy, bursting with pumpkin flavor.  And bleu cheese crumbles and bacon don't hurt either.

 
Sweet potatoes - I can't tell you how much I love these.  I was first introduced to this specific recipe a few years ago and ate loads of it.  I did so again this time around.  Thank you Rachel!


Pork wrapped in pork - you heard me right, pork loin wrapped in pork.  I haven't crunched on pork belly like this before.  It caramelized so well when it was cooked, that a knife and fork weren't going to cut it, literally.  And my dear friends, that is not a complaint by any means.  The pork was a little more than medium and extremely tender.  Seasoned to perfection, this was a pig I would eat over and over again.  My friend Steven, you are nothing less than extremely gifted when it comes to pig!


And to top it all off, hubs supplied some quality ESB and premium bitter beer for the event.  It was a different batch from our BrewMile, but same type.  Delicious for sure - I'm married to one talented man that is for sure!


Another great Harvest Dinner.  My stomach was full and my heart content - good friends, great food and happiness of the season!  Thanks dear ones!

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Stuckey's Apple Farm 

Monday, October 24, 2011 -
As you probably know by now, Autumn is my favorite season.  I love the crisp air, the flavors of the season, the sounds of the leaves crunching beneath my feet, the colors of the leaves and the smell of the fresh air.  Everything about the season makes me want to do whatever I can to take it all in.  Hubs and I went to an apple orchard, Stuckey Farms, last weekend and tried to pick our pumpkins and apples.  Unfortunately, most of the apples had already fallen and the pumpkins had been picked over.  But we still had a great time together enjoying the weather and each other.



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Tomato Bisque and Pumpkin Focaccia 

Friday, January 7, 2011 -
Over my holiday break, I love to organize.  I find things that can be tweaked and have a go.  This break, I tackled many things: hubby's closet (which still looks fantastic I might add), kitchen shelves, our media center, and all the wonderful cooking magazine subscriptions that I get.  Yes, I went through four years of magazines.  I have no idea how I had so many, but I hope you wouldn't have really known that if you were in my home (many were put away in drawers, of course, organized by year and magazine). While I was recycling many of them, I came across a few recipes here and there that inspired our menu for this week, specifically one from Cooking Light - tomato bisque and pumpkin-walnut focaccia.

As you know, I love pumpkin and make it often in the fall/winter season.  From muffins to soup, I think pumpkin is great in anything.  Hubby is normally the baker of the two of us, but I decided to give the focaccia a try.  I began by activating yeast with warm water and brown sugar.  After a few minutes, I added some flour and butter, mixed it up, and put it in an oven I had warmed (but no, it wasn't on!)  Once the yeast did some work, I added the pumpkin puree, nutmeg, some cinnamon and salt - then more flour and off to the mixer with a dough hook.  At this point, I threw in a handful of Gouda from the lobster mac & cheese I was also making for good measure.  As it mixed away (saving me from kneading the dough), I marveled at the beautiful color.  Once it had the elastic texture I was going for, I let it rise for the remainder of the evening.

While I was prepping the dough, I also was prepping the tomatoes.  Two cans of whole tomatoes, an onion, and lots of garlic went on a baking sheet and was covered with a broth mixture made out of vegetable broth, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.  Now, I was out of soy sauce (have you noticed I've been out of things lately?) but alas, Chinese take out packets were saved (don't ask when, because I have no idea) and came in handy for the sauce.  I poured this over the tomato mixture and placed in the oven to roast for about one hour.  I got great color and caramelization without any burning due to the broth.  When that cooled down, I poured it into a blender.

I actually split the cooking/baking into two days.  After all this prep was done, hubby and I enjoyed the lobster mac & cheese we were also making and put the bisque and dough in the fridge for the next day.  Then the next day while I was at the gym, Tim took out the dough to warm it up.  When I got home, we both got to work, which was minimal because of the prepping from the previous day.

I shaped the dough and sprinkled with walnut before putting it in the oven.  When it came out, I had two loaves of some beautiful bread.  It wasn't really the consistency of focaccia (at least to me it wasn't,) but it was still delightful.

The soup was blended and mixed with some more vegetable broth and half & half to give it that creamy texture.  For a more smooth texture, this could have been drained as well, but ours was pretty thick and that wasn't going to happen quickly enough for our stomachs. 

One of my resolutions is to eat more veggies, so I paired this meal with a simple salad.  It was a great, healthy dinner that didn't take much time to make due to previous preparation.  The soup was creamy and delicious - perfect on a cool evening in the winter.  The focaccia was subtle in pumpkin flavor but still very present.  The bread itself was very soft and paired great with the soup - I actually ended up using the slice I had versus a spoon.  And the leftovers for lunch the next day were also fantastic - I ended up making a chicken sandwich out of a slice for Tim and I ate mine as originally prepared.



I was happy to stumble upon this recipe that I had marked to use, but hadn't gotten around to it.  I made a few of my own modifications, but I'm sure it would have been great on its own as well.  

What dish haven't you cooked yet, but have plans to do so in 2011?

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Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (aka Heaven) 

Monday, November 22, 2010 -
I love pumpkin, that is no secret.  So when I came across this recipe about a month ago, I knew I had to try.  I was then reminded of them when I was perusing my Nov. 2010 Everyday Food magazine and thought they would be perfect for Thanksgiving brunch!  Knowing that I could freeze them until the day of,  I got to work making these and some biscuits (which are so good, but different story) knowing I could mark something off my Thanksgiving Day list of "to-do's."

I gathered the ingredients (though I ended up doubling the recipe - I decided to make two batches so that we could munch on a few for breakfast and so I could bring them to work for when we decorate the office on Wednesday.)

I prepped two muffin pans and the mixing began!  Dry ingredients in one bowl, which consisted of flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and allspice (don't have allspice?  Use equal portions of cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper - pretty similar in taste - though for something like this, I would use all cinnamon instead.) Wet ingredients in another bowl and this included the pumpkin puree and buttermilk.

I then creamed together butter and brown sugar until it was fluffy.  I heart my KitchenAid mixer (though no, they didn't give me anything to write this blog, I just like their stuff and happen to own a lot of it in red!) and it works well for things like this.

Next up, add eggs.  I break these prior to adding them to ensure no shells get into the mix.  I also bring them to room temperature - I don't bake with cold eggs.  Oh, butter tip.  If you forgot to bring your butter to room temperature, cut it up in small pieces and leave it out while you prep the dry and wet ingredients.  It will be softened and at room temp in no time!  Once the eggs were incorporated, I then added the dry and wet mixes.  I alternated between the two to ensure all ingredients were incorporated.

What you are left with is some pretty thick batter.  It is gorgeous in color and smells divine, but don't be threatened by the thickness.  It will rise (I was worried, but just went with it to find that it was perfectly fine!)

I used a scoop to put batter in pans - it helps make them uniform in size which then helps them bake together.  In the oven they went, and I continued to drool as the smell of them baking was intoxicating.  When they came out, they had kept that beautiful orange color and I couldn't help but try one. 

Oh gosh, it was so good - I knew it would be better once I coated it in butter and sprinkled (okay, I really just dipped it, no sprinkling was done in this recipe) it with cinnamon and sugar. Divine. 

I only coated enough for hubs and I to snack on for breakfast (and for Monday as well.)  The rest went into the freezer (sans butter and cinnamon/sugar) for another day, more specifically, Wednesday and Thursday.  I plan on reheating them in the oven, then coating them the sugary mix so that I (and others) can indulge on them.

I can't wait.  So. Good.  If you love pumpkin, these are a must try.  So march yourself to the kitchen and get baking - these will be perfect for any brunch, snack, potluck, dinner, midnight snack....

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Pumpkin & Shrimp Bisque 

Thursday, November 18, 2010 -
Some of you know that I like to have Meatless Monday at home. I think it helps get us to try new food (which normally isn't a struggle - I'll try anything) and think outside the box.  I could never be a vegetarian, but that doesn't mean that I dislike my veggie meals (or veggie friends of course.)  But sometimes, hubs immediately thinks that we'll end up having pasta on Meatless Monday, so it is more fun when I purposely do not incorporate the fantastic carbs.

But, what some of you don't know is that in the fall, I subject my hubs to a pumpkin meal at least once a week.  I do this until I see that look of "more pumpkin!?" in his eyes, which normally happens right after Thanksgiving.  I just adore pumpkin, I can't help it.  And this past Monday, I decided to combine our seafood and pumpkin dish into one, and since it is meat-free, why not make it Meatless Monday?

Once again, perusing some blogs, I found a dish I just couldn't pass up over at Closet Cooking - Pumpkin & Shrimp Bisque.

After shelling the crab, started off by creating a stock utilizing the shrimp shells, wine, onions, carrots, celery, sage, bay leaves (I had Turkish, it works) and some broth.  I had chicken bouillon on hand, which I'm sure gave it a smoother finish.  And yes, I realize chicken is meat, but just ignore that for right now.

After letting that simmer for a little over 30 minutes (to be honest, I cleaned out our coat closet and did some reorganizing during that point.  I like to multitask, I can't help it,) I drained the solids and was left with a great tasting broth.

I then added pumpkin, cayenne and cream.  I have to say, I really tried to stick to the recipe on this one (despite measuring, I don't really enjoy measuring...) and I have to say, it was a valiant effort.  Main reason why I didn't, no saffron was in my kitchen.  But that would have made it that much more heavenly.  However, I raised the spice bar just a little bit and was happy to have the back heat of cayenne on my palate.

This simmered for about 15 minutes (yes, I wrapped up putting the coats away before chopping up the shrimp that I had cleaned earlier) while I prepped the shrimp.  Sauteed the shrimp and continued to drool as the remainder of the dish came together.
 
Then, it was time for the pumpkin bowls!  I put some shrimp in them, then ladled the soup on top before adding a combination of sage, lemon zest, garlic and toasted pine nuts.

It really was a great dish - had a nice lemony flavor from both the sage and zest which lightened what many people think of a "heavy" pumpkin cream soup.  The crunch of the pine nuts contrasted well with the smooth soup, and I loved the taste of the shrimp combined with the pumpkin.  Though the richness of the toasted nuts could have added too much to the already rich soup, this didn't happen at all - I chalk that up to the lemon.

I love pumpkin soup, so this was a great variation of what I normally make.  The shrimp was fantastic in it, and the leftovers were as good the next day.

Any other pumpkin lovers out there?  How do you feel about combining with seafood?

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A Fall Progression 

Thursday, October 21, 2010 -
This past Wednesday evening, hubs & co. were were treated to another 'truly progressive' pairing with a fall theme at Tastings.  I love autumn (or fall, whatever you want to call it) flavors.  After all, two of my favorites (pumpkin and cinnamon) are abundant all over the place.  So I rejoice during this season and all the flavors that I get to nibble one.  The staff at Tastings delivered with some great wine and culinary creations.

Aperitif - Fall Orchard Fizz
The return of the aperitif was a good one - this orange colored drink wasn't bubbling in the glass like I thought it might, but the prosecco definitely had a great fizz to it when sipped.  The smell was intoxicating - like you stepped right into an apple orchard.  This was because of the combination of fresh (and local!) apple cider mixed with some Captain Morgan rum.  In addition to the rum, prosecco, and apple cider, there was Absolute Pears, a smidgen of ginger ale and another local ingredient, W.H. Harrison bourbon.  If the flavors of autumn could explode (or in this case, fizz) in your mouth - this was the drink that did it.

First Course - Apple & Pear Carpaccio with a 2009 Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre
Don't think meat for this course - it was thinly sliced gala apples and d'anjou pears.  Once again, I'm not a pear lover, but these were so thinly sliced that the "dirty and grainy" textures that I don't like weren't apparent.  A simple herb salad, containing the bitterness of Italian parsley, cut the tartness of the apple and pear while the sweetness of honey in a ginger oil and orange foam complimented the fruit.  I wasn't a huge fan of the first bite, it didn't seem to have huge depth to it as I was looking for thicker slices (thus, there would go the carpaccio, touche) but after I sipped the wine, the two made a great clean and fresh pairing.

By first look, I thought we were being served a chardonnay.  By first smell, it was intense but fresh at the same time.  And after a quick taste, I was brought into the world of crisp and clean Sancerre.  This was a food friendly wine if I have ever had one.  After a sip, the smooth, clean flavors really shined, especially when alternated with the apples and pears.  Will I drink this again?  I sure hope so...

Second Course - Cornish Hen and Squash Polenta with 2006 Wente 'Reliz Creek' Pinot Noir
You had me at polenta - I love the stuff.  And when it is made with roasted acorn squash and blended to an almost porridge consistency with the creaminess of heavy cream and mascarpone? Delicious.  Served on top was a tempting confit of Cornish hen.  Confit is a slow cooking style which locks in so much moisture and the perfect level of salt - my hen was absolutely fantastic.  I scooped up the polenta with the meat and scrapped my plate until it was gone.  But what I really loved about this dish was the garnish, if it can even be put in that category.  Spiced pumpkin seeds gave the perfect crunch to the butter finish of the polenta.  The pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the hull) were pan fried to get that earthy, nutty flavor and then sauteed in butter before being seasoned with chipotle, paprika and other spices.  It tasted almost like brittle in the beginning stages with a slight heat rather than sweetness.  I would be snacking on this right now if I had some.

What I believe was the best pairing of the evening, we were matched with a pinot noir.  The flavors matched well, bringing a taste of almost cherry to the plate.  No Syrah in the mix (I do love Syrah's though) Wente Vineyard provided a strong and balanced pinot noir that stood up to the "heaviness" of a Cornish hen.  But really, I could drink this all night.  It matched the food so well with a back hint of spice, it really was a perfect compliment.


Third Course - Figgy Piggy with 2008 Maycas Del Limari Syrah
If the name 'figgy piggy' doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will.  A pork tenderloin was sous vide (another cooking style where food is placed into plastic bags and submerged in water to be cooked at low temperatures) making it difficult to be dry as it is intended to maximize the integrity of the flavors.  Because of this, I was slightly surprised my pork was a little dry, but the port-poached fig and the sauce reduction cured that as the pork soaked up the thick sauce providng great flavor.  The smell of the port was intoxication and the crispy bites of fig were a great accompaniment.  A carrot confit (and no, I normally don't like cooked carrots, but this was the first thing I ate and it was divine) and crispy speck were layered on top to complete the dish.  After all, what's pork without more pork?

Matched was a slightly chilled syrah from Maycas del Limari.  Lending a strong and smokey flavor, this bold red was perfectly paired.  There was the spice that I love from syrah's, as well as some real fruit elements that played well with the pork tenderloin we were served.  With each sip, my tongue was covered with hints of berries.  There was an elegance about this wine that I just couldn't put my finger on as I happily sipped.

Dessert Course - Upside-Down Pumpkin Pie with 2008 Yalumba Botrytis Viognier
I feel as thought I don't have to say anything.  If you follow me on twitter, you know that I adore pumpkin.  So when I saw this on the menu for the evening, to be honest, I was anticipating it with every course.  I was not disappointed as I enjoyed not one bowl, but more nibbles as friends passed down a little bit more for me to indulge in.  A pumpkin panna cotta was the creamy base (standing as the pie filling) perfectly spiced with tastes of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.  A scoop of buttermilk-honey sorbet served as the 'whip cream' and probably the best compliment of the panna cotta.  I absolutely adored the combo of the creamy panna cotta with the cold sorbet - it was so refreshing and delicious, I seriously couldn't get enough. To add to this delicious dish, there was a sweet spice caramel drizzled everywhere it needed to be.  The caramel was perfect in texture and had hints of bourbon - never once did I think it was overly sweet in the dish.  A sugared puff pastry was baked between two silicone sheets to get it thin and crispy as the "crust" of the pie.   Did I mention I loved this dish?

And because I loved this dish so much, I have to apologize because I really didn't get into the wine pairing.  It definitely wasn't as sweet as a dessert wine could be despite the sweet smell.  It was great to sip on between bites of the dessert (okay, I wasn't taking bites, I was kind of inhaling, I admit it) as a break from the creamy deliciousness.  Interesting point about this - fungus.  Brian mentioned fungus being used on the grapes somehow (once again, I was distracted, forgive me.)  Want to learn more?  Check out all of Yalumba's tasty wine treats.

A great evening where I was served pumpkin not just once, but twice (we are not counting my double dessert love.)  A BIG thank you to my dear friend LE and J who joined us for this great evening of delicious fall treats!  And of course, this pairing wouldn't have happened with out Brian and Steven - great job again!

Have you made your reservations for next week? 

Tastings: A Wine Experience
50 West Washington (located in the Conrad)
317-423-2400


Final Note: Happy Anniversary to a lovely couple - the N's - also known as RN & JN.  I adore you both - cheers to many more years as you continue to grow and love together.

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