Pumpkin Puree

I make a wonderful pumpkin soup every fall, I normally use a canned pumpkin. This year I decided to try to make it with a homemade puree. It was easier then I thought it was and well worth it. I canned a bunch of the puree to try my pumpkin pie, I'm sure it will be better then perfection. Try making your own canned pumpkin, its worth it.













2lbs makes 2c
Cut a sugar pie pumpkin in half,

 scoop out and discard seeds with a metal spoon

 

 

Next rub the cleaned out inside of pumpkins with veg oil. 

 Set pumpkin with cut side down on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 375° for 45-75 min until its very tender to touch.

 Scoop flesh into blender and puree until smooth.

 Jar. For canning Make sure you read up on canning. I sterilize all the components of the jars in a boiling water-bath. I then fill jars, clean rims and seal and water-bath them again for like 40 min.

 

Pumpkin Coconut Curry

I love Pumpkin. I Love Indian food. I tried this recipe in this months Sunset Magazine. It was heavenly. I altered the recipe added a few little touches. I recommend if you love Indian you have to try this one. Its soooo yummy.


Ingredients
6c peeled chunks of pumpkin
1/2c cuped sweet potatos
1tsp Kosher salt
3tbsp olive oil
1 onion halved and cut into half moons
1 or 2 serrano chilies minced
1 cinnamon stick
3bay leaves
1tsp red curry paste
1tsp curry
1tsp tumeric
1tsp cumin
2 cans coconut milk
1c salted cashews
1/2 lemon juice

Method
Heat oil in pan and salt pumpkin and sweet potatos, brown turning 6-8 min, dont get pumpkin too dark. In seperate pan heat oil and fry onion until deep golden 12-15 min. Reserve half in a bowl. Add chili to remaining onions, saute with cinnamon, bay leaves and currys about 2 min, add other spices about another min. Add spices and onion with coconut milk to pumpkin, bring to a boil and cook until veggies are tender about 5-10 min. stir in cahews and lemon juice. Serve in a bed of basmati rice and top with cooked onions.

Pork Noodle Bowl

A Vietnamese Pork noodle bowl is so fresh and good. Its the best main course. I make the lemongrass pork to top it off.
The noodle bowl is very simple it is basically a table salad but with more noodles. Also make sure you make the lettuce shredded for the bowl. Add chopped peanuts to serve.

Lemongrass Pork (suon nuong xa)

This grilled pork is so amazing, with its lemongrass flavor it adds the right touch to your Vietnamese meal. I use it inside of the summer rolls and on my pork noodle bowls. You could also just eat it right off the skewer. Whatever your pleasure it will rock your taste buds.


Ingredients
1/8c fish sauce
1tbsp thick soy sauce
3tbsp sugar
2tbsp veg oil
2 stalks of lemongrass outer leaves and tough tops removed and finely ground
1 large shallot finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1lb thinly sliced pork tenderloin
16 soaked bamboo skewers

Method
Stir together fish sauce soy oil and sugar until sugar is dissolved, add everything else and marinate the meat for at least 1 hour. Slide meat on to skewers and grill 1min per side.

Table Salad (sa lach dia)

A Vietnamese Table salad is meant to be served with finger foods. The table salad is wrapped around the cooked finger foods. First a piece of lettuce, then your finger food, then top with carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber, rice noodle, and mint...Then dip in your sauce of choice. Table salad adds your vegetable and starch to your protein. Serve your table salad with spring rolls. It really puts them over the top.


Ingredients
1 Head Boston Lettuce
1 cucumber thinly sliced and halved
2 carrots julienned
1c rice vermicelli cooked and drained
Bunch of mint
1c bean sprouts

Arrange leaves then noodles and sections of remaining veggies.

Summer Rolls (goi cuon)

Vietnamese is so fresh, buy the freshest ingredients for the best meal. I love going to a good Asian market to buy the stuff for my meal. Its easy and a one stop shop. I am lucky to have a Uwajimaya here, what a great quality specialty market. Summer rolls are a cool treat. This recipe calls for pork tenderloin, I love to use the grilled lemongrass pork for noodle bowl, but if making just spring rolls you can do it how the recipe states below. The Summer rolls are a yummy treat, I love to serve them with a table Salad and a great peanut dipping sauce.


Ingredients
4oz dried rice vermicelli
4oz pork tenderloin
18 small shrimp shelled and cleaned
12 round rice papers
1 head Boston lettuce ribs removed
24 large mint leaves
1c julienned carrots

nuoc leo peanut sauce
1tbsp veg oil
1tbsp hoisen sauce
2tbsp peanut butter
chopped peanuts for top
sugar to taste

Method
Soak vermicelli noodles in lukewarm water until soft. Drain and squeeze out excess moisture. Boil rice vermicelli in a sieve for 5sec. Remove and transfer to a bowl until cool divide into 12 equal portions. Cook pork in boiling water for 10 min. (if you are not using grilled lemongrass pork) when pork is cool enough to handle thinly slice the pork. Then cook shrimp in the boiling water until opaque. Cut in half lengthwise and devein. In lukewarm water soften the rice papers, blot excess water with clean towel. Place a lettuce leaf, then vermicelli, 3 shrimp halves, 2 pork slices, 2 mint leaves and some carrot, fold wrapper over filling then fold in sides and roll tightly till the end.

Peanut Sauce
Mix ingredients until well combined. Adjust to taste. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top.

Spring Rolls (cha gio)

When I was a teenager my mother and I would go and eat Vietnamese food quite frequently. It is so fresh and good. I have included my favorites all together. You should make all of them together and enjoy all of them. If you are making just these spring rolls you must make the table salad to be eaten with them. I use a lumpia paper when I make the rolls, its easier then the rice paper.

Ingredients
2oz dried cellophane noodles
1oz dried cloud ear mushroom
1lb ground pork
1 medium yellow onion minced
1 large clove of garlic minced
1 carrot peeled and grated
1 egg
Salt&P
Triangular Rice papers or lumpia
Veg oil for frying
Table Salad

Method
Soak noodles and mushrooms in lukewarm water and cover until rehydrated. Drain and squeeze to rid excess water. Finely chop and put into a mixing bowl. Add pork, onion, garlic, carrot, egg and season with S&P. Mix all together with hands until well combined. If using rice papers, soak until pliable. blot with clean towel so not wet. Or use lumpia. Place 1tsp filling 1 inch from rounded edge, fold wrapper over filling, then fold in sides and continue rolling tightly till point end (triangle) Heat oil to 360° over medium high heat. fry on all sides 3-5 min, keeping them clear of each other. Drain on paper towel. Serve with table salad.