How to... Make your own Pumpkin Puree!

 There are so many delicious recipes out there right now that call for pumpkin puree - not canned pumpkin pie filling, plain old pureed pumpkin. But given that I have four pumpkins sitting around my house from our pumpkin carving party that didn't get carved and I don't want them to go to waste... I didn't think it would be appropriate to head to the store and pick up cans of the processed stuff while I have the real thing at home! Surely there must be some way to turn those pumpkins into pumpkin puree that orignarily just comes out of a can? Google gave me a resounding YES, there is a way to make your own pumpkin puree and its *gasp* easy!! Do you have a sharp knife? An oven? A food processor? Then, you can make your own pumpkin puree - it will taste better than canned because it is fresh! Go ahead, give it a try!

(Note - using a jackolantern pumpkin that has been previously carved is dangerous - it has been exposed to all kinds of things, not to mention growth of bacteria from exposure to air, that can make you sick - use a whole pumpkin that has not been mutilated in any way!!).

 First off, use a sharp knife and chop that pumpkin in half - starting at the stem (see top picture). Then use a metal spoon and scrape out all the seeds and stringy insides until you're left with a nice, clean pumpkin. While you're cleaning out the pumpkin, preheat your oven to 350F.

Oil a shallow baking dish and then place the pumpkin halves, cut side down onto the well-oiled dish. Roast in your pre-heated oven for 45-60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Note, that the baking time is for a pumpkin that weighs approximately 4lbs - if your pumpkin is larger, adjust the cooking time accordingly.

 One other thing to note - the larger the pumpkin, the more bitter the flesh - try to stick with smaller pumpkins for roasting - especially if you're going to use them in baked goods where their flavour will really shine!

Let your roasted pumpkins cool until they are cool enough to handle. Then scrape out the soft flesh into a bowl and cool completely. Whirl in your food processor for a couple of minutes until it is smooth and silky. Refrigerate until ready to use (you can make this up to two days in advance if keeping in the fridge, or you can freeze it for longer periods).

 Use your delicious pumpkin puree in any baked goods that call for canned pumpkin puree - here are a few ideas from my blog archives:

Pumpkin Pie with Streusel Topping
Four Layer Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin Doughnuts

You could also substitute this pumpkin puree for any roasted squash in soup recipes! It would sub in great for butternut or acorn squash.

Happy Cooking my Friends!

The Ultimate Sunday Dinner of Meat and Potatoes (on Tuesday!!)

Ok, I'm not going crazy... I know its not Sunday. But that's what the recipe is called! Tyler Florence has a fantastic roast beef dinner recipe in his cookbook Tyler's Ultimate. I don't know about you, but I love roast beef! There is no better smell than a house that smells like delicious, slow cooking beef.

This recipe is one that is best made on the weekend because it takes a while to make, but its well worth the wait! Serve with velvet potato puree and you've got an awesome meal which is definitely suitable for company.

The Ultimate Sunday Dinner of Meat & Potatoes

Recipe from Tyler's Ultimate (see link above)

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil
• 3 lb top round, in one big hunk
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1/2 bottle dry red wine that you wouldn't mind drinking
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat a 2 count of olive oil in an oven proof braising pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat until smoking. Season meat well with salt and pepper, put it in the pan, and brown for 10-12 minutes. Make sure its really well seared on all sides - this is where the flavour comes from. Take the meat out of the pan and put it on a place.
2. Add the onion, rosemary, and thyme to the pan and stir and cook for about 5 minutes to give the onion a good sear. Now add the wine, broth, and bay leaves and bring the whole thing to a simmer. Return the meat to the pan. Cover; put the pan in the oven and cook until the meat is fork tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
3. Remove the meat to a platter. Taste the braising liquid for salt and pepper and discard the bay leaves. Slice the meat and serve in shallow bowls atop a big spoonful of potatoe puree. Top with some of the sauce and garnish each bowl with a drizzle of olive oil to finish.

Velvet Potato Puree

Recipe from Tyler's Ultimate (see link above)

Ingredients:

• 3 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• kosher salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• freshly ground black pepper
• extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Put potatoes in medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Add 1 tsp salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Whil they cook, warm the cream with the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Drain potatoes and pass through food mill or ricer into large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm cream and butter until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir in a drizzle of olive oil.

Like I said - definitely something to save for a weekend, but amazingly delicious. So simple and flavourful, and you'll be left with 1/2 a bottle of red wine to drink with dinner (or while you're preparing it - use your best judgement!!)! I hope you enjoy this recipe - I thought I would post it up a few days from the weekend, so that if you're the kind of person that likes to plan out your meals for the weekend, you'll have time to plan for this one.

Happy Cooking my Friends!