ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP
Use buttercup pumpkin if you can find it, or another variety such as sugar
pumpkin.
1 pumpkin (3 1/2 pounds) halved and seeded (save the seeds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 whole cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Few leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 quart chicken stock, heated to warm
1 cup heavy cream
Set the oven at 350 degrees.
In a roasting pan, set pumpkin halves cut sides down. Add enough water to
shallowly cover the bottom of the pan. Roast for about 50 to 60 minutes or until
pumpkin is caramelized and tender when pierced with a skewer. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, rinse the pumpkin seeds. Pat them dry with paper towels. Toss them
with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle
with salt. Toast them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are dry and
crisp.
In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the
butter, and when it melts, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 3
minutes.
Scoop the flesh from the pumpkin shells. Add the pumpkin, thyme, and sage to the
onion mixture. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Stir in the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring. Lower the heat
and simmer the soup for 10 minutes. Let the soup cool slightly. In a blender,
puree it in batches.
Return the soup to a clean pot and stir in cream. Heat gently without boiling.
Ladle into bowls or pumpkin tureens (see accompanying recipe) and sprinkle with
toasted pumpkin seeds.
Serves 6
PUMPKIN TUREENS
6 carnival pumpkins
Salt and pepper, to taste
Set the oven at 350 degrees. In a roasting pan, set the
pumpkins stems up.
Roast the pumpkins for 15 minutes. Leave to cool slightly. Cut a round in the
top of each pumpkin to make an opening for soup. Reserve the tops. Remove the
seeds and sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper.
Return the pumpkins to the oven. Roast them for 15 minutes or until they are
tender but still hold their shape. Ladle soup into tureens and cap with tops.
Makes 6 WILD MUSHROOM FLANS 3
tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the ramekins
8 ounces mixed mushrooms such as shiitake, cremini and oyster
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (divided)
1 cup whipping cream
4 large eggs
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, preferably
Parmigiano-Reggiano (divided)
Butter six (�-cup) ramekins, souffl� dishes or custard cups. Line them with
rounds of parchment or wax paper cut to fit the bottoms. Butter the papers.
Place ramekins in baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse mushrooms well in large strainer under cold water to remove any grit, then
pat dry with clean kitchen towel. Remove and discard stems from shiitakes. Slice
all mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
In large, heavy skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. When
hot, add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they are browned and softened
and all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook,
stirring, 1 minute more. Stir in � teaspoon salt, several grindings of black
pepper and 1 tablespoon parsley. Divide mushrooms evenly among ramekins,
covering bottom of each ramekin with some of the mixture.
In mixing bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, 1/3 cup Parmesan, � teaspoon salt
and several grindings of pepper until well mixed. Transfer cream mixture to
2-cup or larger measuring cup with a spout and pour it into the ramekins,
filling them almost to the top. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come
half way up sides of ramekins. Carefully place pan on center rack of preheated
oven.
As flans bake they will puff up. Bake until flans are set and a small, sharp
knife inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Using pot
holders, remove ramekins from pan to cooling rack for 5 minutes. Flans will
deflate as they cool.
(Flans can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool, cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and reheat, uncovered, on baking sheet in
preheated 350-degree oven, 10 to 15 minutes.)
Loosen edges of flans with small, sharp knife, then invert flans and remove and
discard paper. Place one flan on each of 6 salad plates and sprinkle with some
of remaining cheese and parsley. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.
Note: If you want to double or triple this recipe but have only six ramekins,
bake a single recipe, cool flans 5 minutes, then unmold them onto a baking
sheet. Clean ramekins, then bake and unmold the second group onto the baking
sheet. Cool, cover and refrigerate unmolded flans. Reheat them, uncovered, on
baking sheet in preheated 350-degree oven, 10 to 15 minutes. Use metal spatula
to transfer flans to salad plates. ROAST TURKEY BREAST
1 whole, bone-in turkey breast
1 gallon (or more) water
1 cup orange juice
2 whole star anise
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 cup kosher salt
1 orange, sliced
Butter
Wash turkey breast. Place in a large, heavy-duty plastic
bag. Add water, juice, star anise, garlic and salt and squish it around to mix.
Seal bag with a twist-tie and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.
Remove turkey breast from bag and discard marinade. Pat the turkey breast dry
with paper towels. Scatter orange slices in a shallow roasting pan and arrange
turkey on top, skin side up. Rub skin all over with butter. Roast uncovered at
325 degrees for 20 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer
inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165 to 170 degrees. Remove
from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
CRANBERRY AND DRIED CHERRY RELISH 1 package (12
ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw if frozen)
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, cherries, sugar and water. Bring to a
boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until most berries have burst and liquid
is syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Cover, pressing plastic wrap directly on surface of relish; refrigerate. Makes 3
cups.
Per �-cup serving: 120 calories, 32g carbohydrates, 1g protein, trace total fat
(trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 4mg sodium, 1g fiber. Calories from fat:
2%. CRANBERRY CHUTNEY
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup golden raisins
1 navel orange, peeled, coarsely chopped, and seeded
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
8 ounces dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
In a large saucepan, combine the fresh and dried
cranberries, raisins, orange, onion, apricots, ginger, sugar, orange juice,
vinegar, thyme, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3 to 4
minutes or until sugar dissolves.
Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the mixture come to a boil. Cook until the
fresh cranberries pop. Turn the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring
occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chutney thickens.
Remove the saucepan from heat and let the chutney cool, stirring several times.
Refrigerate in covered containers for up to 4 weeks. Makes
about 6 cups MAPLE NUT CARROT SALAD
3 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup maple syrup
In large bowl, combine carrot, raisin, celery and pecans. In small bowl combine
mayonnaise and syrup. Add to carrot mixture and mix gently to combine. Cover and
refrigerate till ready to serve.
Serves 6. CRANBERRY SALAD
6 oz. pkg. red gelatin
2 C. boiling water
1 bag cranberries
1 large orange
1/2 C. chopped nuts
1 C. sugar
Grind cranberries and orange. Add sugar over cranberries. Add to gelatin when it
is partially set. Refrigerate. COTTON CANDY SALAD
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 cups drained crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can strawberry pie filling
12 ounces cool whip, thawed
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Fold all ingredients together and blend well. Chill until ready to serve.
TARRAGON GREEN BEANS
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 tablespoon tarragon, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* Parboil the beans in salted water until tender to the bite, about 5 minutes.
Drain. Saute the shallots in butter until tender, add the beans, and saute for 2
to 3 minutes, until warm. Stir in the chopped tarragon, season with salt and
pepper, and serve.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information per 4-ounce serving: 50 cal., 2 g pro., 8 g carbo., 1.5 g
fat, 150 mg sodium, 5 mg chol., 4 g fiber.
SOURCE: "Gourmet Meals in Minutes"
VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING ROLL
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1/2 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps cleaned and finely chopped
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons sherry
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
4 to 5 cups stuffing, any meat-free recipe
1 package phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
First, make the mushroom duxelles. Soak dried mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for
30 minutes to soften. Remove mushrooms and chop finely. Heat butter in heavy
12-inch skillet over medium high heat until foam subsides. Add shallots and
cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add all mushrooms
to pan and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden and all liquid mushrooms
give off has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in cream, sherry and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid
is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to
taste and transfer to bowl, cooling to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment
paper. Gently unfold phyllo and place on half a large towel. Fold other half of
towel over dough to keep it moist. Place 1 sheet phyllo on parchment-covered
pan. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo. Place
stuffing on phyllo in a long rectangle 4 inches wide and about 9 inches long,
leaving about 4 inches of phyllo on all sides. Compact stuffing with your hands.
Cover stuffing with the mushroom mixture, and compact gently with your hands.
Fold short edges of phyllo over filling, then long sides. Bake 35 to 40 minutes
until filling is hot and phyllo is golden brown. (To see whether filling is hot,
insert point of sharp knife into center and feel it. If knife is hot, filling
will be, too.) If phyllo browns too quickly, cover with foil.
Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into
inch-wide slices.
SPICED PUMPKIN SOUFFLE 2 cups
canned or homemade pumpkin puree, unseasoned
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
Optional garnish:
Whipped cream
Pumpkin candies
In a medium mixing bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, cream, 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon,
nutmeg, ginger and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until firm.
Gently, with a plastic spatula, fold egg whites into the pumpkin mixture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter six 3-inch ramekins. Lightly sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly
in bottoms of the ramekins. Divide pumpkin mixture among ramekins. Bake for 25
to 30 minutes at 350 degrees until nicely puffed up. Don't overcook or the
souffle will fall. Serve immediately if you want a warm dessert, or cool for 1/2
to 1 hour to serve cooled. Serve with whipped cream and pumpkin candy garnish,
if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe from pastry chef Januz Noka, of Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York City
NO COOK CRANBERRY BALLS
1 stick butter
1 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
1 6 ounce can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 12 ounce box vanilla wafers (finely crumbed)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Coconut flakes, for rolling
Sift powder sugar and cream with butter. Add cranberry concentrate, crumbled
wafers and chopped pecans. Form into small balls the size of a walnut. Roll in
coconut. These freeze well. This recipe also works well with orange juice
concentrate instead of cranberry.
CREAMY GINGER PUMPKIN PIE Two 15-ounce cans pumpkin
pie mix
1 container Cool Whip Light
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 graham cracker crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Follow mixing directions as instructed on the can
of pumpkin pie mix. Blend in 3/4 Cool Whip in lieu of milk and fold in ginger.
Puree in the blender and pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes.
Let cool and garnish with Cool Whip and/or pumpkin seeds. |