Pumpkin baked beef stew

It's that time of year when pumpkin starts invading any and all other foods, even in the most unsuspecting places, pumpkin bread, pies, muffins, lattes, pasta, ice cream, beer, where does the madness end...? Well if I had it my way, it never would.  Everything is better with a little pumpkin! 
Well now I think I've jumped off the pumpkin deep end.  This innovative squash recipe comes from a family friend who's entire family looks forward to the fall season because it means one thing: Pumpkin baked beef stew... you heard that correctly, it's beef stew, IN A PUMPKIN!  It's like the modern day peanut butter and jelly, a culinary match made in heaven!! Now it's time for you to hop on the pumpkin bandwagon.  Although somewhat labor intensive, it's quite simple in terms of culinary talent-- and it makes for a great presentation!  This was my first go around at beef stew and with some coaching from my mom, I think it came out great.  I definitely would not hesitate to make this recipe again real soon.  Loaded with seasonal veggies and very hearty, this filling recipe can feed an army at a very reasonable price. 

Pumpkin baked Beef Stew (serves...a TLC sized family)
1 medium-large pumpkin (make sure you can fit it in your oven and you can lift it)
2 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb stewing beef
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 bag carrots 
5 medium potatoes 
1/2 large or 1 small turnip 
1 large yellow onion
1-2 cups green beans
5 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp cinnamon (use a cinnamon stick or two if you have them around)
water


You can either make this a two day event, or it you have a whole day to spend in the kitchen, you can knock it out in one fell swoop.  Use any veggies you like, I stuck with the classics.  Start by prepping all your veggies, rinsing, peeling and chopping.  You don't want to cut them too small because they'll cook down.  Chop the turnip and potatoes in equal size pieces, slice the carrots, cut the green beans about 1 inch thick, and chop the onions.  Set aside.

First, flour the beef.  Add the flour to a shallow dish or plate.  Drop each piece of meat into the flour, shaking off any excess.  The flour will coat the meat when you brown it, and will help add a little bit of thickness to the broth.

Now that all the meat is floured, heat the 2 tbsp oil in a large pot on medium heat. Make sure you have an ample pot to cook with, I unfortunately made the mistake of using a pot too small and had to transfer to the crock pot midway through, avoid this extra step!  Once the oil is hot, add the meat.  You don't want to cook it all the way through, just brown it up, flipping it after a few minutes. 

 Once the meat starts to brown, turn the temp down a little and add the onion, stirring frequently.  I add the onions first to maximize the flavor.

 Now add the vegetables in order of hardness, turnip, carrots, green beans, and lastly the potatoes.  You want to add the potatoes last because the starch will break down if they're overcooked.  Mix the vegetables as you add them, and next add the water. Fill it as high as the veggies & meat in the pot.  

 Once the broth is hot, add the bouillon cubes... depending on how much water you add will determine how many you need.  Add three to start, stir and taste then go from there.  Next add the cinnamon.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the hardest vegetables are tender (1-2 hours).  Now you can either call it Christmas and store the beef stew in the fridge for a night, or power through and continue the recipe (but this is a great stopping point).

Start buy cutting the top off your pumpkin and clean out the insides, use a sturdy soon to get out as much of the stringy inside as you can.  Save the seeds to make pumpkin seeds to snack on later (spray a pan, sprinkle with salt bake on 400 degrees til brown, flippin' em half way through)!  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, make sure you move the rack to the lowest possible position and take any extra racks out that might get in the way.  Next add equal parts margarine and brown sugar to a small pan to melt.  then add the mix to the pumpkin-- pick the pumpkin up and whirl it around to coat the sides evenly. 

Place the pumpkin in a baking dish or on a strong baking sheet, something that will make it easier to handle a very hot and very heavy pumpkin (not an easy feat).  Add the HOT stew to the pumpkin.  If you refrigerated the stew overnight, heat it up first, then add it to the pumpkin before you bake it to make sure everything is heated evenly throughout.  The safest/easiest way to do this is by spooning all of the solid stew then pouring in the liquid.  Bake it in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.  

Another option to this recipe is to buy smaller personal pumpkins, especially if you are having a dinner party.  Each guest will be able to enjoy there own special bowl, and what a nutritious alternative to the carb-heavy bread bowl!! This is definitely a MUST-TRY recipe, enjoy :)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

If ten years ago you had put a plate of Brussels sprouts in front of me, I can guarantee I would have turned my nose up at them.  My family never ate them growing up and I remember one aunt boiling them and the smell alone made me cringe.  But since then, I've dabbled in vegetarian life and have really opened up my mind to try new things.  I tried these little green delights for the first time in my college dining hall and who would of thunk it, they were actually pretty good! 
Roasting vegetables in the oven enhances the flavor and gives a sort of earthy-nutty taste.  If you are skeptical, even more the reason to try them!  They are loaded with fiber and actually have 3 times the vitamin C of an orange, and for only 10 calories a pop that is a very nutritious bang for your buck!!  

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (serves 2)
1 heaping cup brussel's sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil
a generous sprinkle of garlic powder... the fresh stuff is even better! 
a light dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Start by trimming up each sprout.  Peel back the dark outer leaves and trim the stems with a small paring knife.

When you buy them, it'll look like this

After you trim it, it should look like this.

  Then score them buy cutting an "X" on the leafy tops.  Give them a good rinse, there might be some dirt wedged in the tight leaves. 

Place them in a baking dish and drizzle them with oil, give the pan a shake to spread the oil on all sides... If you have the time and patience, you can use a basting brush to oil each one.  Sprinkle them with salt and garlic powder.  Fresh garlic will add a stronger flavor, just use crushed or finely mince your own with a knife or garlic press.  Roast them in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until they've softened up and the outer leaves brown up.

Eggplant parmigiana

I know what you're thinking-- Eggplant, AGAIN?!  This girl has a sick obsession with that stuff!!  Well, I am well aware of this vegetable monopolizing the blogisphere, but a) it IS delicious and b) they were only a buck a piece at the Brookline farmer's market, how could I resist!  
Oh and yes, you read that correctly, I've moved back to the city!! Actually since my last post, I've signed a lease and scored an apartment in Cleveland Circle AND started a new (and AMAZING) job... full-time with benefits baby, wooo!  Why do I digress you may be asking yourself.  Well this move does in fact impact your life directly... living in an apartment with no momma to cook or dad to grill can only mean one thing, MORE blogging, win! 
I think the weather may have officially changed for the season and now it's time to pack away your bathing suits and beach chairs, dust off your oven get your apron on!  Tonight I did just that, with a Sunday sauce and eggplant parmigiana.  I make a good sauce, but I am still tweaking and fine tuning-- once I've got it perfected I'll let you in on the recipe, but for now stick with what you know and use what you're used to whether it be grandma's classic sauce or a jar of ragu! (please don't admit to me you use ragu though.)

Eggplant Parmigiana (serves 6)
Ingredients:
3(ish) cups tomato sauce 
1 eggplant, peeled
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg 
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
~1 cup mozzarella cheese 




Start by thinly slicing the peeled eggplant in half vertically. Then slice each one in half.

After you've sliced the eggplant, set up a station to bread it.  On one plate, dish out the flour.  In a flat deep dish bowl, add the egg and milk and beat it together.  In the third plate, add the Italian bread crumbs.  Have an extra large plate near by stack all the breaded eggplant.

 Once your all set up, dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off the excess.  The flour will help the egg mixture to stick.  Next, dip the floured eggplant into the egg, and lastly hit it with the bread crumbs. 

step 1: flour it

Step 2: dip it in the egg

Step 3: bread crumbs

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish with a little non-stick cooking spray, then spoon a little tomato sauce into the dish, you don't need a ton or it'll get too saucy and soggy.  

Then start stacking the eggplant.  Add a little sauce every 2 layers of eggplant, and add a little cheese in the middle.  I didn't measure the sauce or cheese, just look at the pictures and eye ball it.  Just remember, you want to be able to taste the eggplant, not be overwhelmed with cheese and sauce. 

Once the dish is full, spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the top.  Chop the basil and spread it evenly on top, and add more sauce, probably between a half to a full cup.

 

 Bake it in the oven for about 40 minutes, stick a fork through it to see if it's soft.  Remove it from the oven and add the remaining cheese in an even layer.  Bake it in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. 

 

 In lieu of spaghetti, I served the eggplant with roasted Brussels sprouts and a warm baguette. If you like a lot of sauce, add extra once it's plated. 

  I'll blog the roasted Brussels sprouts tomorrow, I never knew I liked them--honestly, I actively avoided them, but then I tried them roasted (in my college dining hall, go figure) and wow, so yummy!