Cook ALL the Pumpkin: Raviolis and Pie

Aaaaaaannnnnnddd...not from Better Homes and Gardens. Oh well. :)

The hubs and I decided tonight around 10pm that we NEEDED fresh pumpkin raviolis. Like REQUIRED. Then we decided we didn't want to wait until 2am to eat. So we compromised, and I found this recipe: Creamy Pumpkin Penne, but we wanted raviolis, so I just pulled a bag of cheese ones from the freezer. It called for fresh sage and pecans which we didn't have on hand, so I omitted those, as well as subbing in real milk for the non-dairy stuff. I whipped it up in less time than it took the raviolis to cook. It was nice. However, I was so tired and hungry that I spaced on picture taking until I was half done eating.

 

Still looks tasty, though, doesn't it? The recipe says to toss the cold sauce with the hot pasta, but that didn't seem like it would work all that well, so I gently warmed it in a saucepan first. Serve with parmesan, and VOILA! 

The hubs cut his half with regular old tomato sauce, but I ate it as-is. I assure you, both ways are very good. ("Wasn't bad," says the hubs.) Probably give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The called for sage might have been a nice addition, but I can't see the pecans being much help.

Next is :Alton Brown's Pumpkin Pie. In tonight's grand tradition of cutting corners, I didn't make the crust. However it made a few of these custardy beauties.

Which each serve two.

That's just a little whipped cream up on top, cream sugar vanilla, nothing special.





The pie was pretty good. Made with fresh instead of canned has a very different texture and a subtly different flavor, but not in a bad way. However, his recipe doesn't call for cinnamon which it could have used. Also, the gingersnap crust sounds like a perfect substitute for graham cracker in this dish, especially if you aren't a big fan of traditional crust (I'm not). 4 out of 5 stars, though neither rating is REALLY fair as I cut corners in both.







There's my pumpkin stuff for today. What will I do tomorrow? I'm not sure, but it will have to go with ribs!

Cook ALL the Pumpkin!

We have purchased a 30# plus pumpkin recently from a wonderful pick your own place near us. (www.freconfarms.com) I spent HOURS the next day cutting this thing up, then boiling it down and mashing it. I now have over a gallon of pumpkiny goodness to cook NOW or else. SO in the course of trolling the internets, I have found a source of recipes- Better Homes and Gardens. I have many to try, and will be linking the pages. I will post pictures, and opinions, both mine and friends and family. They run the gammut from sweet to savory, soups and stews and desserts and breakfasts...it all sounds good, and the hubs is slavering for them, the pumpkin fiend. So...expect an update a day until I use it all up.

Here goes nothing (but pumpkin).

OmNomNom: Scotch Eggs

You know what I love about scotch eggs? (Besides their ease, simplicity, convenience and delicious flavor?) Even hard boiled eggs this ugly:

End up this pretty:

And it's way, way, ridiculously simple.

We own a Butterball electric turkey fryer. If you've ever wanted to try frying a turkey, but were scared of oil fires, this is the unit to buy. Really. Every so often, we like to fry up something other than a turkey though. And when it's out, I do many things, because it's just easier that way. Tonight, I made a deep fried chicken, with sweet potato fries, and I experimented with frying some brussels sprouts (I broiled the rest, as usual). While it was out, I made these breakfast balls of awesome, too.

First, you need the boiled eggs. I use this recipe by Alton Brown, Because Alton Brown is amazing (I don't care if you disagree). But any method works.

Then, you need loose sausage. You can be lame and use a roll from the grocery store, but we like the good stuff from the farmer's market, which we season simply with salt, pepper, and paprika. You can use anything you want, really: sage, oregano, garlic, whatever you like.

Finally, you need breadcrumbs. Seasoned or not, your choice, style doesn't matter. I like the crunch of panko.

Now take a small ball of sausage, and sort of make a dip in it.

Then, place the egg in the middle and try to ease the sausage around it in a more or less even layer.

Roll it around in the bread crumbs until coated.

Repeat until sausage is gone, or you run out of eggs. I ran out of sausage first.

Drop them in your briskly rolling oil (I heat my machine to 375 Fahrenheit).

Fry for about 5 min or so.

They should look like this:

If the sausage has pulled away from the egg in places? Oh well!

Let cool for a bit, then tuck in! They're great the next day, too. Reheat in the toaster oven, or eat cold.

OmNomNom.