Pumpkin Stew

Today I brought in the pumpkins that i have used this fall on my front porch for decorations. There were 2 small ones and 3 medium ones. There are many things you can make from pumpkin- pies, cakes, breads, soups. These all take pureed pumpkin. When we were living in Sierra Leone they make a savory stew out of chunks of pumpkin, and it is delicious. I dont make it often because you can not buy raw pumpkin chunks except in the fall, and then you have to peel and cut your own. 

To prepare the pumpkins, i cut them into 4-5 inch sections, scoped out the pulp and seeds with a spoon, then peeled them. For the stew i set aside about 3 cups of 1 inch diced cubes. 

The rest of the pumpkin I cubed and boiled in a big pot until tender. Drain all the water off and let cool. Process in a blender or food processor until very creamy. I then poured the puree into a big skillet and cooked off alot of the water. This will make it easier to use after frozen and defrosted. If it is still watery after you remove it from the freezer, drain with cheese cloth or paper towels. Use like canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Stew

2-3 cups diced raw pumpkin

3 Tbsp. oil

2 pounds cut up stew or faitja beef

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 small can tomato paste

3 boullion cubes

1/2 tsp. hot red pepper (optional)

Water

Salt, black pepper to taste

Rice

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the pumpkin cubes and cook on medium high to slightly brown the pumpkin. Remove them from the pan and set aside. (I usually salt and pepper each item as I cook them, then when they are all put back together, taste and adjust the saltiness to taste. Do not over salt, because the boullion adds salt also.)

2.Add the beef cubes to the skillet and cook untill browned, but not crispy. Remove and set aside. 

3.Next, brown the onions slightly. Return the beef and pumpkins to the pan. 

Add enough water to almost cover the meat and pumpkins. 

4.Add the tomato paste and boullion cubes. Stir and let come to a boil. Add hot pepper powder to taste. Cook until the meat and the pumpkin are tender. If too watery, cook some of the water out.

5. Serve over rice.

Aunt Ann's Pickled Figs

 I thought I had shared this lovely recipe before, but it looks like I have not. When Jerry's Aunt Ann Edwards passed, my mother in law ended up with her recipe box. going through it, I found this recipe to pickle figs. i just happened to have figs everywhere and was searching for something to do with them. I had tried making fig wine- it was awful and went down the drain! I made fig jam, but my jam eater, Jerry, did not care for it. So I tried a batch of pickles. They are really easy to make and very good. They are similar to a pickled peach and are very tasty and festive at the holidays. They go very well with ham and roasted pork or chicken.

Aunt Ann's Pickled Figs

3 quarts figs, ripe but firm (stem can be off or on)

Boiling water

Syrup:

1 cup water

6 cups sugar

1 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon whole allspice

1 tablespoon whole cloves

2 sticks of cinnamon (4 inches each)

1. Cover the whole figs with enough boiling water to cover them. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Drain and discard water.

2. Put all the ingredients for the syrup together in a sauce pan big enough to hold it and the figs. Ann's recipe says to put all the spices in a cheese cloth bag in the syrup, but I just let them float loose and divide them among the jars when canning.

3. Bring the syrup and the figs to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Cover and let them sit in the pan and the syrup until the next day.

4. About the same time of day for 2 more days, bring the figs and syrup to a boil for 10 minutes. That makes 3 consecutive days to boil them.

5. On the third day, after boiling them, place the figs into sterile canning jars. Fill the jars with syrup, leaving 1/2 inch head room. Clean rims of jars. Place lids and rings on, hand tighten.

6. Process jars in a water bath that covers them, at least an inch above the tops. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes covered. Turn heat off, remove lid and wait 5 minutes. Remove from water bath and cool. Lids should pop if sealed. 

I usually get about 5-7 jelly jars per recipe.

Glazed Figs with Feta

The fig tree that my husband, Jerry, transplanted from our previous house to our present house is finally having a good crop this year. It is the third summer after transplanting it. Jerry has watered, feed and watched closely over his baby trees. Now it is paying off. 

So now, what to do with the figs? In previous years I have made Emeril Lagasse's fig chutney which is great with curry or other rice dishes. We also love Aunt Ann's pickled figs made by an old recipe I found in Jerry 's Aunt Ann Edward's recipes. They are delicious with ham or pork roast, especially at the holidays. Both of these recipes are on previous blogs. Today I did a quick fig treat to go with our dinner- Glazed Figs with Feta or Goat Cheese. I used feta (pictured below), it is cheaper and I had it on hand.

You can do this in no time, and use them for an appetizer, side dish or dessert. Give it a try if God is blessing your fig tree with abundant fruit.

Glazed Figs with Feta or Goat Cheese

Ripe but firm figs, stems removed and sliced in half

Honey, enough for a small dot on each fig

Feta cheese or goat cheese, a small piece for the top of each fig

Cooking Spray, such as Pam

1. Lightly spray a cookie sheet.

2. Place fig halves about an inch apart on the cookie sheet, sliced side up.

3. Spray surface of figs very slightly with cooking spray.

4. Put a drop of honey on the cut side of each fig. I spread it round a little with my finger to cover the top of each piece.

5. Broil on high until figs begin to bubble. Watch them very closely so as not to burn them. This will only take 5-7 minutes.

6. Remove cookie sheet from the oven and put a small piece of feta or goat cheese on top of each fig. 

7. Return figs to the oven and broil about 3-5 minutes longer to just soften the cheese. Watch them closely. If you use goat cheese, it will be creamer and melt quicker. But feta is cheaper and tastes great, also.

Summer Confetti Salad

As the summer is waning, Jerry and I have been trying to eat healthier and shed some of our "fluffiness". Jerry is way ahead of me and looking good. As I am looking for healthier recipes, I came across the one below on Epicurious.com. I love this app and daily recipe emails. You can save any recipe to your own recipe box for later reference.

This recipe is delicious, fresh tasting and keeps for a few days. Enjoy!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Summery-Confetti-Salad-51183680?mbid=ipap

Moroccan Harissa

I am getting a good crop of jalapeño peppers this year, along with banana peppers and tomatoes. I was looking for a hot sauce recipe to preserve them all. I looked through the Ball book: Complete Book of Home Preserving to find a recipe. (This is a must have book for home canners.) The recipe for harissa looked really tasty and easy to make, so I gave it a try. It is really good. Even my grandchildren liked it with a chicken and rice dish. 

Harissa is a Moroccan condiment eaten with tangine or couscous dishes. You will even enjoy it on a sandwich to spice it up, or I even thought of using it as the sauce on a pizza with chicken or eggplant and  feta cheese for toppings. It will be as hot as the peppers you use. I used a combination of those in my garden and some Anaheim peppers my friend Lisa gave me. It turned out spicey hot, but not fiery.

The original recipe used dried peppers, but my version uses fresh. Use any combination you have on hand, about 25 hot peppers plus a couple of small bell peppers if you have them. It is always wise to wear rubber gloves when cutting hot peppers. Makes 7 small jelly jars of sauce.

Be brave and try something new and exotic! Keep life SPICEY!

Harissa

15 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into circles

4 banana peppers, seeded and cut into circles

6 Anaheim peppers, seeded and cut into circles

2 small bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

5 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

2 1/2 tsp cumin

11/4 tsp. ground coriander

4 Tbsp. chopped garlic

1Tbsp. salt

1. In a glass or stainless steel bowl, cover the chopped peppers with warm water for 20 minutes. Lay a plate on top to keep them all submerged. Then drain.

2. In a large stainless steel sauce pan, combine the tomatoes, onions, sugar, vinegar, cumin and coriander. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently about 25 minutes, or until the consistency of thin ketchup.

Add the drained peppers, garlic and salt for the last five minutes of cooking.

3. Wash and sterilize your jars and lids for canning. ( www.freshpreserving.com/home Use this reference for canning instruction if you are new to canning.)

4. Transfer the sauce and peppers, a few cups at a time, to your food processor. Process until a smooth paste is formed. Pour into a glass or stainless steel bowl until all is processed, then stir around to evenly distribute ingredients. (Be careful with hot sauce in the processor. Do not fill too full or let steam push off the lid. The vapor from hot peppers can be very strong, so do not inhale deeply over the mixture)

5. Ladle hot paste into prepared, hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe off rims, set canning lids on and rings. Hand tighten to fingertip tight.

6. Place jars in a canner or water bath, being sure to cover the tops of the jars with at least  1/2 inch of water. Bring to a boil with the lid of the canner on. Boil for 10 minutes. Then remove the canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, label and store.

Quinoa and Cilantro Salad

I have come to love quinoa, a high protein grain that can be flavored with many things. In this recipe, I begin with the Near East brand mix called Quinoa Blend, (a blend of quinoa and brown rice) Red Pepper & Basil. You can cook as the package directs, but this time I tried it in my 3cup rice cooker using the same amounts of water and oil as the package calls for. It worked great.
This is great as a side to baked meat or as a meal all by itself. You cam add pinenuts, chopped tomatoes, black beans, or all the above.

Quinoa and Cilantro Salad

1 box Near East Quinoa Blend, Red Pepper & Basil
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1Tbsp. lime juice

1. Cook quinoa as instructed on package, being sure to add the flavor package. Cool.

2. Add chopped onion, cilantro, olive oil and lime juice.

3. Mix all and chill.

For more protein, add 1/2 cup black bean. For crunch, add 1/2 cup pinenuts or almonds. For a lighter tasting salad add 1 fresh tomato chopped. Add all of the above for a really filling and 
beautiful dish.

Spicy Baked Eggplant

We are getting lots of jalapenos, eggplant and tomatoes from the garden now. I tried some recipes from Pintrest, one for Eggplant Fries. My granddaughters helped me make them and they were delicious. Tonight I made up a really recipe with my produce  similar to the Fries, but easier and very tasty. My husband Jerry even took seconds, and he is not usually much of a veggie eater. See if you like it.

Spicy Baked Eggplant

2 Japanese eggplant, peeled 
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
1cup Flour
1Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded cheese, any type
2-3 jalapenos, sliced thinly
8-10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1. Cut the peeled eggplant in half horizontally. Then I cut them into 3-4 inch segments.

2. Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat lightly, turning over to get both sides.

3. Mix flour and Italian seasoning (about 1cup of flour to 1 tablespoon of seasoning, depending on how much eggplant you are preparing). Roll the eggplant pieces in this mixture. It will lightly coat them. Then lay the pieces in a greased casserole dish.

4. Sprinkle cheese on top of each eggplant segment.

5. Put 3 or 4 thin slices of jalapeno on each segment, then fit a few cherry tomato halves on each.

6. Sprinkle all with salt and black pepper to taste. Then drizzle each piece with a little more olive oil.

7. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until fork tender and slightly browned on top.

We had these with baked chicken, quinoa salad (next blog) and sliced tomatoes.

Noodles With Veggies

My industrious, gardening sister, Annette, had alot of home canned tomatoes left from last summer. She shared them with me and I set about to use these delicious treasures. I also had some yellow squash from the saturday farmers market that needed cooking. I decided to make a vegetable ragu and serve it with some nice noodles I found at Krogers-Mrs. Weiss Kluski Egg Noodles. It was really tasty, fresh and healthy! I served it with a bowl of grated Amish gouda we had picked up in Ohio at an Amish cheese factory- Heinis Cheese.

Vegetable Ragu with Noodles

5-6 yellow squash, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes

1 green bell pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch piece

1 medium onion, chopped roughly

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)

3 cloves garlic, medium

1quart canned tomatoes with liquids (fresh would also be great)

1package, 16 ounce,  Mrs. Weiss Kluski Egg Noodles

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Saute squash for about 3 minutes.

2. Add onions, peppers and garlic. Cook until onions are clear, but not browned.

3. Add the canned tomatoes and cook all for 15-20 minutes covered.

 If there is too much liquid, cook uncovered until desired thickness. Leave enough liquid to wet the noodles when added.

4. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. 

5. Stir noodles into ragu, then pour all in to big serving bowl. , put all into a 9x13 pyrex and cover with 1-2 cups of cheese.

Easy Banana Cake

Quick, Simple and Delicious

This is my first post in almost two years! My friend,Liz Gainey has encouraged me to restart this blog. That got me thinking about it, but my biggest motivation is that I find it so helpful and easy to pull up my favorite recipes from here on my IPad. Rather than searching the recipe books, or my recipe cards, I just open Gayle's  Reflections and do a search- there you have your recipe and you are ready to cook!If you have an IPad, you can take a picture of the recipe and find it in your photos or file it in your files. Electronics and technology is definitely helpful in the kitchen.This recipe for banana cake is one I came up with while trying to use some very ripe bananas. I always feel guilty throwing them away. Just a cake mix and banana, make icing or buy it. Easy, easy!

Banana Cake

1 yellow cake mix (add eggs, oil, water according to package directions)

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1cup chopped pecans for top of icing

Cream Cheese Icing

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

8 ounces cream cheese

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 cups confectioners powdered sugar .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or what your cake box instructs)

2. Spray two round cake pans or one 8 x 13 inch pan with canola    oil.

3. Make the cake mix according to the package directions then add the two bananas and mix in thoroughly.

4. Bake the cake as directed on the box and then cool thoroughly.

5. Make icing by mixing butter and cream cheese until soft and well mixed.

6. Add salt and vanilla. Mix well. Then add sugar 1 cup at a time until a smooth consistency. If it is too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time until it is spreadable. Apply icing to a thoroughly cool cake.

If you are in a hurry, the store bought cream cheese icing is pretty good. Enjoy!