Pumpkin Pasta, Patisserie and Patties

My fellow villagers assured me that pumpkins would keep in a cool cellar from October to February- and of course they were right.
But February has been and gone and it's time for those pumpkins to be used up.
Aside from gallons of soup for the freezer, I thought at least one of the beasts deserved a more noble end and so put it into some more imaginative dishes.


 I cut it in half- one part to be roasted, the other to be peeled and grated.
The pumpkin crescents roast for 20 minutes or so with some olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs in a hot oven. They are then ready for serving up with stews or sausages, or peeling and mashing to use in a variety of ways.

Pumpkin for roasting

 First of all, I made some pasta- 4 eggs, a tsp salt, 250g flour and a glug of olive oil whizzed up in  the food processor and then left to rest whilst I make the filling- 2 tbsp of cooked pumpkin, mashed together with some soft garlic and herb cheese.

Pasta rolling

Ravioli shapes

Roll out the pasta as thin as you can, using a pasta machine and then cut out ravioli shapes using a pastry cutter.

Seal up the parcels

Place a teaspoon of the filling on each round, dampen the edges and press on the lid- making your way round with your fingers to ensure a good seal and pressing out the air.
 I keep a damp tea towel handy, sprinkled with flour, to store the ravioli as I work.

You can cook them fresh or freeze them in a container with tiers of greaseproof paper between them, again sprinkled with flour. They freeze well and can be cooked from frozen too.

To cook, bring a pan of water to a rapid boil, gently add the ravioli and turn down the heat to a simmer. The ravioli are cooked when they rise to the surface and float.
You can serve them with simple tomato sauce, or olive oil and parmesan shavings, or floating in a broth. You can make an easy and delicious broth from 1 tbsp miso paste, 1 litre of  hot vegetable or chicken stock and 2 tsp chopped sushi ginger.
I used the leftover bouillon from our village pot-au-feu.

Pumpkin Ravioli

With the grated pumpkin, I made the following:
- Pumpkin and Sultana Tea Bread
-Pumpkin and Gruyere muffins (Coeur Fondant)
-5 -a-day burgers
- Vegetable Moussaka

Pumpkin and Sultana Tea Bread

200g grated pumpkin
200g light brown sugar
4 eggs (separated)
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
100g sultanas (soaked in a cup of leftover tea)
100g ground almonds
200g self raising flour
pinch salt
1 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger

1. Preheat the oven 1o 170 degrees and grease and line a large loaf tin
2.Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until pale
3.Stir in the pumpkin, orange, sultanas and ground almonds

Add the pumpkin and orange etc

4. Sift in the flour, salt and spices
5. Now whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and then fold carefully into the mixture

Fold in your egg whites

6. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for about an hour until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Pumpkin and Sultana Tea Bread

 Pumpkin and Gruyere Muffins (Coeur Fondant)

The secret to these little aperitif cakes is the melting middle- in this case made from a cheese bechamel sauce- but it could be tomato, pesto or just a little mozzarella ball pushed into the centre before baking.
First make your sauce by melting 1 tbsp plain flour with 1 tbsp butter, cooking through and then whisking in a cupful of milk, 1 tsp mustard, a handful of grated cheese, salt and pepper.

Melt together the butter and flour

Whisk in the milk and flavourings

Now pour the sauce into an ice cube tray, allow to cool and then freeze for an hour or so.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Meanwhile make your muffin batter by heating up 150 ml of milk, 30 g of butter and 100g of grated Gruyere cheese. When cheese and butter are melted, add 100g of grated pumpkin, salt and pepper.
In a bowl, beat 3 eggs and add 60g of flour and 1 tsp baking powder.
Now mix in the milk and pumpkin mix and then pour into individual muffin moulds.
Press each 'ice cube' of Bechamel sauce into the centre of the muffin and then bake for around 15 minutes until risen and golden.
When sliced open they should ooze sauce.

Pumpkin and Gruyere Muffins (Coeur Fondant)

Finally I used up the rest of the grated pumpkin in some 5-a-day burgers ( a mix of lentils, spring onions, mushrooms, pumpkin, hummus and garlic). Recipe if you click the link under the photo.
 5-a-day Burgers and Vegetable Moussaka

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3142271565548915253#editor/target=post;postID=2296409778812253085;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname

The same  mixture goes really well in a Vegetable Moussaka too- just fry it off lightly and mix with some tomato sauce. Layer it along the bottom of a baking dish with sliced potato, finishing off with a layer of sliced and lightly fried aubergine.

Top with Bechamel sauce, grated mixed cheese (Cantal, Cheddar, Emmental and/or Parmesan) and a dusting of nutmeg.

Bake at 170 degrees until brown and bubbling.

Not much left in the garden now- just a few leeks, onions, and chard. 

Time to start planting again!

   

                                                 

 

 Roll on Spring!

 

Pot-au-Feu

This weekend was our village Pot-au-Feu.

Jean-Jacques- our very own Getafix - set to work with his cauldron making a stew of epic proportions.

Beef, vegetables, herbs and seasoning all went into the pot- to simmer for hours in the traditional way.

The result was pure magic.

Pot-au-feu is a traditional Auvergnat stew made from shin of beef, cheek and other cheaper cuts of stewing beef, cooked in a bouillon of herbs and onions with carrots, potatoes, leeks, turnips, swede and celery. The whole lot is simmered in a sealed pot until the meat is tender. It can then be served either as it is, or in two courses- with the bouillon as a soup to start.

Ingredients: to make Pot-au-Feu for 8

1.5 kg shin of beef, 500g beef cheek,(marrow bone if you can get one) or 500g oxtail

We used 35 kilos!

6 carrots

Our carrot mountain

4 turnips

Tons of Turnips

4 sticks celery, 4 leeks, 4 onions,1-2 small swede, 8 potatoes..

Enough veg boxes to bury a brontosaurus!

4-5 bay leaves, bunch of thyme and parsley chopped roughly
 3 litres water
 plenty of salt and pepper
(to serve- gros sel and mustard)

1. Brown the onions to colour the bouillon, add the water to the pot along with the herbs and seasoning
2. Add the veg (peeled and washed but left whole), and bring to a simmering boil.

Simmer the veg

3. Lightly brown the  meat and add it (again left in large chunks) along with the marrow bone and close the lid.

4. Leave to cook undisturbed for 3 hours.

5. Serve in a dish with a good selection of meat and veg, with salt and mustard for guests to help themselves.

Pot-au-Feu

Not only were 140 people fed that afternoon, but 20 of us volunteer chefs and waiting staff sat down the next day to enjoy 'Les Restes'

Leftover lunch!

And still there was more- litres of bouillon to take home for soups:

Magic bouillon

I am going to use mine with some ravioli poached in it:

Soup with Ravioli

And Tupperware after Tupperware filling my freezer with cooked potatoes for gratins, soups and purees

Parmentier topping

And leftover meat for pies, Parmentiers and ragouts.

Individual Meat Pies

Even the fat that was skimmed from the bouillon went to good use- mixed with bird seed and put out for the hungry garden birds:

Don't forget to feed the birds!

And so, the feast comes to an end- and we feel suitably fortified and ready to face up to any adversity...

just as well as we head back to Brexit-torn and beleagured Britain next week!

Smashing Pumpkins

I read in the newspaper today that enough pumpkins will be bought in the UK in the week running up to Halloween to provide two bowls of pumpkin soup for every man, woman and child in the land.

Sadly though, most of these gorgeous courges are thrown away after the 'celebrations' - and not eaten at all.








Well, it's time to tempt people to use up those pumpkins before they rot in the dustbin.

I've updated my cucurbit repertoire to try and do just that.

Roasted pumpkin/squash/courge is always a good place to start so, put a tray of sliced squash in the oven at 200 degrees to roast with any other veg you like- onions, garlic, parsnips, tomatoes, peppers etc- a good glug of olive oil, salt, pepper and plenty of herbs- and after 40 minutes or so you have a tray of delicious, caramelized veg to go with any meat dish as a side.

                           Prepare your squash for roasting                                 

The leftovers mash up nicely with a bit of potato to top a Parmentier (Shepherds, Cottage, Duck confit or Haggis- you can find the recipes on the blog using the labels or search button or click on these links)

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/the-meat-course.html

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/haggis-parmentier-burns-supper-french.html

Pumpkin Parmentier

Or try making some simple ravioli, filled with the mashed roast veg mixed with some garlic and herb soft cheese (for method and recipe click on the link):

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/rainy-day-cooking.html

Or wrap the chopped roasted veg, mixed with a little curry paste,  in filo pastry to make samosas:

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/week-31-warming-things-up.html

   

If you are clever, you can roll them up into these spirals and serve them as a veggie alternative to sausages on Bonfire Night. Just keep brushing them with melted marge or butter to keep them easy to shape.

Butternut Catherine Wheels
(Photo courtesy of Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook)

Talking of sausages, this traybake is a simple and substantial family meal:

Sausage and Squash Traybake

Just right for Bonfire Night- sausages, squash, onions, garlic and new potatoes roasted in oil, salt, pepper and coarse grain mustard. A handful of cooked peas added at the end brightens up the dish.

To bring the pumpkins up to date- try roasting them with miso paste to give them a rich, umami flavour:

Miso roasted Squash

Ingredients:

1kg of squash- peeled and chopped into chunks

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp mirin (or dry sherry)

2 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp golden caster sugar or honey

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper

2. Spread the chunks of veg out on the tray evenly and bake for 20-25 minutes

3. Mix together the mirin, miso and sugar or honey and add in the sesame oil

4. Brush over the squash with a pastry brush until well coated and all the mixture used up

5 Bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbling

6 Scatter the sesame seeds over just before serving.

This is nice served with greens, plain rice and salmon.

And finally, I was served this Thai-inspired Butternut soup last week. It is simple- but beyond delicious:

Ingredients:

1 kg chopped squash
1 large clove of garlic
3 cm piece of root ginger
1 lime
1 lemon
300ml coconut milk
12 cooked prawns
2 tsp sesame oil
1 bunch spring onions
1 finely chopped chilli

1. Peel and slice the squash into cubes
2. Reserve some of the green parts of the spring onions for decoration- and chop the rest.
3. Place in a heavy saucepan and soften in some vegetable oil over a moderate heat

Gently fry your squash

4. Add the crushed garlic clove
5. Grate the lemon zest, lime zest and ginger and add to the mix

Grate your ginger, garlic, lime and lemon zest

6. Squeeze in the lemon juice
7. Add 700 ml  boiling water and leave to simmer
8. Peel the prawns and place in a marinade of lime juice, half the chopped chilli and the sesame oil

Marinade those prawns!

9. Add the coconut milk, warm through and then blitz with a hand blender
10. Adjust seasoning and then pour into bowls
11. Decorate with the prawns, chopped spring onion, chopped chilli and the remaining marinade drizzled over.

Thai-inspired Prawn and Buttenut Soup

Two bowls of that served to every man, woman and child in the land? Now, that's what I call smashing!

Please enjoy your pumpkins responsibly!
(No sniggering.)

Week 45- Beyond Boxing Day

So, Christmas has been and gone. The over-shopping that preceded the Big Day- and the overeating that characterized it- have given away to the over-full fridge, bursting with leftovers.

Boxing Day uses up loads of these- we always have cold cuts, baked jacket potatoes and salads the day after Christmas- but what to do with all the rest?



It's not just a question of avoiding waste- it's also about having a variety of dishes and menus to tempt the tastebuds after so many rich flavours.

Did your Christmas dinner leftovers look something like this?

If so, I have some menu ideas to use things up economically - and also tastily too.

I'm guessing you've got plenty of turkey, cold roast potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, gravy, mincemeat, cream, cheeses from the cheeseboard and enough chocolates to bury a brontosaurus.

So- how about clear turkey broth with turkey and bacon ravioli followed by Bubble and Squeak cakes with a poached egg and crispy bacon and mince pies 4 different ways ( served with creme fraiche.)

There's also cranberry and wensleydale scones and chocolate wonton parcels for snacks ( it is still the festive season after all).

Chow Phan

The first thing to do - if you haven't done it already- is to strip every last bit of meat from your turkey carcass. I save the best bits of breast and drumsticks for Boxing Day cold cuts, and put the rest of the turkey meat back in the fridge for making Chow Phan (recipe in the cloud at the top of the page) and Turkey and Ham Pie (recipe coming soon. This uses up bread sauce too.) You can freeze this cooked meat in a sealed container if you prefer, as long as it was well -cooked, cooled and refrigerated soon after cooling.

Take the carcass, break it up into bits and put it, any drumstick bones, skin etc into a slow cooker or large saucepan. Add two bay leaves, a handful of parsley or a teaspoon of dried herbs, a chopped onion, a sprig of rosemary and a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pour over 2 litres of cold water and either leave to simmer in the saucepan for a couple of hours or in the slow cooker for 8 hours or so.

Making stock

When this is complete, strain the liquid from the bones and keep it warm. Let the carcass cool for a few minutes, then carefully pick through what is in the sieve, taking off every last little bit of soft meat. I ended up with a good 150g or so in a pot.

(This soft meat is perfect for making into filling for ravioli- just blitz with some cooked bacon, garlic and soft cheese et voila!). However, if you are going to all the trouble of making this deep, rich turkey broth from scratch, you can treat yourself to some shop bought ravioli to float in it, as the Italian fresh ones are really very good. (Still make the filling and freeze it for another time however.)

Turkey broth with ravioli

Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning- you can make it richer by adding some leftover turkey gravy to the mix.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the ravioli with a handful of frozen peas and a sliced spring onion if you have it.

Bubble and Squeak cakes

Ladle the broth into bowls, spoon in some drained ravioli and peas/onions- scrumptious and the perfect antidote to lots of roast meat and sauces.



Bubble and Squeak has featured often on the blog- as it is such a delicious and cheap way of using up vegetables. No apologies for featuring it again- this time made from mashed potato, parsnips, sprouts and a bit of spinach (leek or cabbage or kale would be good too). Mix everything together in a bowl and season well. Take a potato masher and squish everything together some more. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into patties. Fry in vegetable oil until golden and crispy on each side. (Keep warm).

Meanwhile, grill some bacon, pancetta or prosciuttio until really crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.

Poach an egg in boiling salted water for 2  minutes or so and lay on top of the Bubble and Squeak cake, topped with some bacon. Mmmm...

Bubble and Squeak with poached egg and bacon

I've had posh versions of this in restaurants too.

Posh Bubble and Squeak

For pudding, take some of that jar of mincemeat that you have in the larder or fridge, and some spring roll wrappers or vol aux vent cases from the freezer. (Avid blog followers are likely to have these lurking somewhere - or at the very least some filo pastry.)
Experiment with wrapping up the mincemeat different ways- spring roll style, samosas, cigars, parcels or mille-feuilles. For instructions, see the cloud at the top of the page or copy the illustrations here.

Mincemeat vol aux vents

Roll up your mincemeat cigars

Mince pie variations

Serve with creme fraiche or ice cream.

Mincemeat cigars

Mincemeat mille feuilles

Now for some treats- firstly chocolate wontons.

I was given lots of chocolates this year for Christmas- colleagues, family, friends. Thank you all. They will be eaten judiciously over the lean months between now and the summer. (Actually, probably not particulary lean if I'm scoffing chocs.)

But what to do with the cheap and cheerful 'After Dinner Mints' I bought to grace the Christmas table myself ?

Here is an idea from Donna Hay.

Take a wonton wrapper or square of filo pastry, brush the edges with water. Slice a  mint chocolate square in half, or place a whole round mint on the wonton. Fold over to encase the chocolate, brush with melted butter or Flora and bake in a medium oven (180 degrees), until the wonton starts to slightly brown. The chocolate will be melted inside and yummy. Like a sweet spring roll.

Chocolate wontons

Finally, what to do with all the leftover bits from the cheese board.

Firstly put all your bits of hard cheese into the goblet of your food processor and blitz. (I had cheddar and wensleydale with cranberries- but any 'speciality' cheddars, red leicesters,  parmesan bits etc will do fine.)

You need about 100g- but if you have more, freeze it once grated.

Take 200g of self raising flour, 50 g of rolled oats, 2 tsp baking powder, 75g of marge, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and blitz in the same goblet of the food processor (no need to wash it). Mix the cheese back in with 2-3 tablespoons of yoghurt and a good dessertspoon of mustard. As the dough comes together, add some milk if you need to. You need a soft dough that can be easily rolled- so not too sticky or wet. (These make quite a dense scone- leave out the oats if you prefer something daintier)

Turn out on a floured board, shape into a round about 3 cm thick and cut out scone shapes. Place on a greased baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with fleur de sel or sea salt and bake at 190 degrees until just golden on top.

Brush scones with milk

Serve spread with cream cheese (leftover Boursin, Dolce Latte,  Le roule, etc) or cranberry sauce.

Wensleydale scones

Another Christmas done and dusted- time for a well earned cup of tea!

If I can get past all these Santas!