Gingered Pumpkin Soup

 

Well, hello there pumpkins on my porch that are going to rot down if I don't take them up to the back garden soon.  You all seem like perfectly nice pumpkins (that we were too lazy/busy to carve this year).  So let me help you out and turn you into something delicious.

 

Disclaimer:  This is not a simple recipe.  It is not quick.  I would not normally attempt anything of the sort, except, well... I'm currently unemployed.  Laid off.  Or as I have been saying, "I'm on sabbatical."   Sabbatical sounds like it was my choice, and also gives the impression that I will be going back to work at some point.  Until then, I'm Suzie frickin' homemaker with attention defecit disorder.  

The ADD is not new for me.  Having a ton of time on my hands is.  

Like this recipe.  Pumpkin soup, from a pumpkin.  You can used the canned stuff, of course, but making it from scratch really wasn't that much more work and it did taste fresh.  But I'm the last person who will ever judge you for taking the easy way out.

Anyway... on to the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp light butter

2 (15 oz) cans pumpkin

2 (14 oz) cans low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and brown sugar, as garnish

DIRECTIONS

 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir in pumpkin, chicken broth, milk, maple syrup and ginger.  Bring pumpkin mixture just to a boil and season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and a sprinkling of brown sugar, enjoy!

A NOTE ON THE FRESH PUMPKIN:

To make from scratch, cut a pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and put in 350 degree oven (cut side down) for 60-90 minutes.  Remove pulp, blend until smooth). I only used half of the large pumpkin pulp for the soup, the rest is in the freezer for future use.

VERDICT

 Ok, so we already covered the "not really quick nor easy" critique of this recipe. But if you do have a can of pumpkin (or the desire to sacrifice one of your kid's Halloween pumpkins) this was a really unique and tasty recipe.

It also goes really well with skillet foccacia.... homemade bread is yet another sign that I have too much time on my hands and need to get back to work!

 

 

A twist on pie crust

I usually find ideas on Pinterest- especially for the holidays.  This time I have a pin I  can share.  I was looking for cookie cutters the shape of leaves or other fall decor.  I found all of my letters (heretofore never used). Why not label my pies?

It's either totally lame or totally genius.  Time (and a better picture taken by someone on Martha Stewart's staff that appears on her 2015 Thanksgiving magazine cover) will tell.  

 

And yes... I made three pies today.  There is a story behind all of the free time that entails... but I'll save that for Sunday's post.

Autumn Chopped Salad

 

 INGREDIENTS

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 pear, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Poppy Seed Salad Dressing (or more or less)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or more or less)

DIRECTIONS

Throw all ingredients together.  Toss well.  Eat. 

VERDICT

 With fresh pears and apples, this is a perfect salad for fall.

 

Steak with Peanut Sauce and Broccoli

I like Martha Stewart.  I have good luck with her recipes (unlike that ridiculous Rachel Ray who I swear puts up mistake-riddled recipes just to see if you'll really add a full cup of red wine vinegar instead of 1 tbs).  But sometimes I don't have time to follow her recipe to the letter.  

This would be one of those recipes.  I forgot to make the marinade ahead of time.  I didn't want to dirty an extra pan in the broiler.  I threw it all together in a big pan on the stove and still liked the results.  

You'll notice that my recipe also looks a heck of a lot different than hers (I added extra veggies and served it over rice pasta) but the flavors were the same.  

What it should look like:

What it looks like when you don't follow directions:

Follow the directions to the letter or improvise as I did, but I think you'll like the end result.

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch long) or the jar of dried, ground ginger is just fine too.  Really.
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak or sirloin steak
• 2 pints broccoli (about 2 heads) or additional random veggies
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 scallions
• Coarse salt 

DIRECTIONS

1.      In the morning: Peel garlic; peel and slice ginger. Place both in a blender with peanut butter, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup vinegar, sugar, red-pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until smooth. 

Now lets get real.  You totally forgot about this until you got home from work, like, ahem, I did.  Forget the blender.  Toss 2 TBS of minced garlic in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir until relatively smooth. 

Place steak in a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish; add all but 1/2 cup sauce and refrigerate. Cover and store reserved sauce at room temperature. Again, if you didn't marinate it all day long, no biggie.  The reserved marinade can go right over the top at the end and keep all that delicious peanut flavor.

Cut florets from broccoli (reserve stalks for another use); cover and refrigerate. Cut up whatever veggies you have in the fridge.  Why limit yourself to broccoli?

At dinnertime: Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Lift steak from marinade; place on a broilerproof baking sheet. Broil until medium-rare, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate, and cover loosely with aluminum foil; let rest, 5 to 10 minutes.

Edit:  At "oh, crap, my husband will be home in 10 minutes time" throw the steak and some marinade in the skillet and cook it up.  I chopped it up to make it cook faster and make it more flavorful on every side instead of cooking it as one solid piece as directed.  Cook it just under how you want it done (it should still be pink in the middle!)

While steak is broiling, thinly slice scallions, keeping whites and greens separate. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add broccoli, scallion whites, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt. Cover skillet, and cook, tossing occasionally, until broccoli is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover; add remaining tablespoon soy sauce and tablespoon vinegar. Cook, tossing, until liquid is evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in scallion greens. 

Edit:  After the steak is cooked to your desired doneness, throw the veggies in the wok and cook them up as directed.

  

 To serve, thinly slice steak across the grain; serve with broccoli and reserved peanut sauce. Or throw your chunks of cooked steak back into the wok with the rest of the marinade to mix it all up together.  Serve over rice or pasta... unless you're on a crazy low-carb diet.

VERDICT

As you can see, I was REALLY bad at following directions on this recipe.  But the taste was the same no matter how you made it up and it was delicious.  I mean, as long as you like peanut butter.  If you like Thai food, you'll like this.  Or Thai Peanut Butter Noodles that we made on this blog last year.  It's not a taste everyone enjoys.  Personally, I love it.  I just wanted to give you fair warning that it's a love it or hate it taste for most people.