November 1, 2009

[The Crispy Cook]

Some Great Pumpkin jousting submissions, already! 

Here's my own contribution to the Royal Joust: A Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese with Crispy Crumb Topping.  I harvested one of my own Rouge Vif d'Etampes pumpkins (they are an heirloom variety from France, and being typically French, they have style and good taste!), roasted and pureed it and used a bit for this luscious retake of that standard comfort food, Mac and Cheese.  Threw in some beer-braised onions, sage, brown sugar and some creamy Greek Yogurt, and it was a delightful twist on an old favorite.



Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese with Crispy Crumb Topping

1 lb. gluten-free pasta (I used Sam Mills corn rigatoni - $1.50 bag at Odd-Lot)

2 large onions, peeled and sliced thinly
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

1 cup Red Bridge sorghum beer

2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 cups fresh, soft bread crumbs (I used half a baguette (the end parts) from Saratoga Gluten-Free Goods from my freezer)
2/3 cups walnuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste.

3 Tbsp. softened butter

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until just al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Heat oil in frying pan. Add onions and cook over low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and add beer. Turn up heat, bring to boil and then cook until beer is reduced by half, about 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, yogurt, brown sugar and Parmesan. Mix in cooked onions and blend well. Carefully mix in cooked pasta (GF pasta tends to be brittler than wheat pasta) and pour into a greased 9 x 11 baking dish.

Place walnuts, bread crumbs, and sage in food processor and whizz it up until crumbs are coarse. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle crumbs over macaroni in baking pan and dot with bits of softened butter.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until topping is Crispy and golden brown.

Makes 8 generous servings.

For more photos of the Halloween massacre that ensued in the making of this dish, check out http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/2009/10/great-pumpkin-invades-crispy-kitchen.html:

[Queen]

Rachel! You outdid yourself this time! I am completely IN LOVE with this dish!!!! IN LOVE!!!!

[Catalina]

Hi!
I'm looking forward to entering the joust for the first time, but WHOA!
there are so many amazing ideas here!

[Queen]

Catalina! That is great! Please join us!

[Forum Team]

Awesome entry Crispy Cook!!!  Looks like one I am going to have to try! 

[FOODalogue]

Nothing is coming to me with these ingredients, but I just wanted to let you know I received my Royal Mug and will proudly display it in my kitchen. Thanks. i look forward to the results of this joust.

[Queen]

Thanks for letting me know, Joan! I am glad you like it!

[MM]

I've been keeping up with the past several jousts and the thought of entering is a bit intimidating for a newbie!  But, these ingredients look really fun to me.  I've been rolling something around in my head and I think I'll try it out this weekend.

[Queen]

I hope you join us MM! We all just like to have together in these Jousts! So I hope you will participate!

[amassey]

Here is my submisson- great choice of ingredients for this month!  I love fall and the recipes that go with it

Butternut Squash Risotto with Shrimp

INGREDIENTS
4 ounces pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped
1 pound large uncooked deveined peeled shrimp
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1-2 pound) peeled seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup Shiner Beer
1 cup short-grain rice (such as arborio or carnaroli)
4 cups vegetable broth, heated in microwave
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup heavy cream
coarse salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons oil on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; bake until squash is tender, turning with spatula occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sauté pancetta in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until fat renders and pancetta is browned and almost crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to medium bowl. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; add to saucepan. Sauté until browned and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Add to bowl with pancetta. Add butter to same saucepan, then onion, garlic, and brown sugar. Deglaze the pan with beer, simmering until reduced completely and onion is translucent and golden brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute to brown. Add hot broth; increase heat and bring to boil. Add squash and fresh sage; reduce heat to medium and simmer until rice is tender but still firm to bite and mixture is creamy, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream, shrimp, and pancetta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Amber
www.chocolatebroc.blogspot.com

[betherann]

Yum!  That risotto looks great, Amber.

[Forum Team]

Great entry Amber!  Love that risotto!

[Queen]

Welcome to the Joust Amber! This is a great entry!

[Junglefrog]

I loved the ingredients for this joust (my very first!) and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the recipe. Simply delicious fall food!
Here is the photo and the recipe!


Beefstew with beer and pumpkin (serves 2 or 3)

350 gr. beef

30 gr butter

4 small onions

Half a medium sized pumpkin

200 gr round carrots or another vegetable you like

1 bottle of Stout or another dark beer

5 cloves

1 pcs of mace

2 bayleaves

1 cinnamon stick

sugar to taste

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice (we picked the mashed potatoes)

Cut the beef in chunks of about 2 cm and put pepper and salt on them. Put the butter in a casserole pan and once the butter stops foaming add the meat. Bake the meat for about 10 minutes on medium high till it is browned.

2. Cut up 3 onions in rough pieces and add them to the meat. Bake for another 5 minutes. Add the bottle of beer.

3. Stick the cloves into the remaining onion (you can leave it whole, it will fall apart anyway) and add this together with the mace, bayleave and cinnamon stick to the meat. Bring to a boil, add pepper and salt and sugar to taste. You don’t want it to be overly sweet. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for approx. 2 hours. Add the carrots in and simmer for another half hour before you add the pumpkin. Simmer for another half hour and check if the meat is fall apart tender and the pumpkin well done.

Junglefrog Cooking

[MM]

Here's my entry:

Pumpkin Puffs w/ Caramel Stout Sauce




Pumpkin Puffs w/ Caramel Stout Sauce
from Ms. enPlace

for the pâte à choux:
1 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 450.

Boil the water in a heavy pot. Add the butter and stir until it has melted. Add the flour (all at once) and salt. Cook and stir until the mixture forms a soft ball of dough. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10 minutes. Make the filling while you wait. After 10 minutes, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough should tighten up after adding the third egg.

Form dough into about a dozen round shapes on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Lower oven to 325 and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Make the Caramel Stout Sauce while they cool.

for the pumpkin filling:

3/4 c heavy whipping cream
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 1/2-3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whip cream in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. Combine the pumpkin with the sugar and spices. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture. Chill, covered, until ready to use.

for the Caramel Stout Sauce:

1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c stout or dark beer
1 c sugar

In a small saucepan, warm the cream and stout together.

Meanwhile, heat the sugar on medium high in a heavy bottom saucepan. Stir constantly to prevent burning. As the sugar dissolves, it may be necessary to lower the heat. When the sugar has dissolved completely and is a light brown color, slowly add the heated cream and stout mixture. Stir as you pour. Continue cooking and stirring for about 10 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool; it will thicken once it has cooled.

Slice the top third of each puff. Fill with about 3 tablespoons of pumpkin filling. Replace the tops. Place a puff on a plate, drizzle with the cooled Caramel Stout Sauce, and serve. Store any remaining Pumpkin Puffs loosely covered in the refrigerator. For best results, store the sauce, filling and pastries separately and combine when ready to eat.

Optional (but encouraged): melt semi-sweet chocolate chips and thin with shortening. Drizzle over the top of the Pumpkin Puffs along with the caramel sauce.


More here: http://msenplace.blogspot.com/2009/10/jousting-at-pumpkins.html