October 28, 2015

Pumpkin Curry

October 28, 2015/ Annie

I warned you about all the pumpkin posts that were going to happen this week. Pumpkin soup yesterday, pumpkin curry today, and more pumpkin tomorrow. Halloween is three days away for goodness sake! Y'all know me and holidays, they must be celebrated to the fullest.

This curry is amazing. Like really really amazing. Kathleen back me up here (she had the luxury of joining me for dinner). I'm a huge curry advocate. Throw the word pumpkin into the recipe and I'm sold. What I love about this recipe is how thick the pumpkin makes it. My past experience with making curry has always left me with a really soupy consistency. I can never get it as thick and creamy as the restaurants, until now.

One of my friends from work showed me this recipe. We are both equally pumpkin obsessed and love coming in to work to show each other what we made for dinner the night before. I added chicken to mine but you could easily swap out for veggies or tofu. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and lots of cilantro. I recently purchased a rice cooker and it is kind of the best thing ever. I'm looking for any excuse to use it. For $20 you can get perfect sticky rice, fluffy quinoa and you can even use it like a slow cooker.

Pumpkin Curry adapted from
A Beautiful Mess
serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 leek, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken, tofu or veggies (broccoli, red or green bell pepper, baby corn, pumpkin etc.)
1 cup basmati rice
cilantro and pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to serve

Directions:
Cook the rice according to the packaged instructions. Easy rule of thumb is one cup rice to one cup water.
Mince the garlic, finely chop the onion and thinly slice the leek. Heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic, onion and leek until soft and fragrant. About 3-4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, pumpkin puree and all the spices except the salt and pepper. Whisk together and cook over medium heat until everything is warmed through and thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more of any of the spices if you wish. It's up to your taste buds. Once you get the flavor you like, stir in the shredded chicken. Serve the curry with rice and topped with pepitas and chopped cilantro.

Annie

October 27, 2015

The Best D@#% Pumpkin Soup

October 27, 2015/ Annie

I didn't name it, but I'm not disagreeing. This pumpkin soup isn't your typical creamy puréed soup. It's a broth based soup cooked right inside the pumpkin. That's right, i n s i d e the pumpkin. Save a pot, use the pumpkin!

I didn't get around to carving a pumpkin this year, but making this soup sort of felt like it. Broth, leeks, rosemary and salty parmesan cheese fill the cavity of the pumpkin. Pop on the top and roast away. Check out Pure Wow's

video

to get a better idea on how to make some d@#% good pumpkin soup.

The Best D@#% Pumpkin Soup
yields 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
1 small pie pumpkin, about the size of an acorn squash
1 clove of garlic, whole
1 leek, halved and thinly sliced
3 sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped
2 cups chicken stock
lots freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a pairing knife and sketch out a circle about 5 in. in diameter. Sketching it out helps with making a more accurate cut. Now actually cut around the stem like you would a jack-o'-latern. Remove the top and scrape out the seeds and insides. Save the seeds for roasting later!

Place the garlic clove, leeks, and rosemary in the cavity of the pumpkin. Pour in your chicken stock. Freshly grind in a bunch of black pepper and sprinkle in the parmesan cheese. Put the top of the pumpkin back on and place it on your baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes. Your pumpkin should be shiny and golden when it's done.

Remove the top and stir up the broth to mix up all the melty cheese. To serve, scrape spoonfuls of the pumpkin flesh from the inside and ladle into a bowl with the leeks and broth. Top with more cheese and pepper.

Annie

October 13, 2015

Fall TDL

October 13, 2015/ Annie

New season, new TDL. I had a more than perfect summer, but I wasn't very accomplishing at checking things off my summer to-do list. Fall is always bit more productive, so I have high hopes of checking everything off this season's TDL. I'm printing it off and putting a copy where I can see it. Everything on the list are things I really want to do. Some I've wanted to do for a while, some that go with the season and some that have carried over from summer. Ready, set, lets do things!

1. Make unconventional pumpkin recipes. Like this, this, this and this.

2. Have a fall themed cookout outside by the chiminea. S'mores and hot chocolate must be included.

3. Rent bikes and ride around town. We have this little bike rental program in OKC and I have yet to take advantage of it! ( I stole this from my summer TDL because I still haven't made it happen).