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First things first. At the store over the weekend, walking through the produce section, I spotted the pie pumpkins. They have always intrigued me, and I was in the mood to give one a try, so in the basket it went. Brian's comment was, "make sure you use it before it goes bad." I am notorious for buying produce and forgetting about it. Anyway, I decided to make it for dessert to add to the biggest meal I have ever made to date. The dinner plan was a pork roast, fresh green beans and baked potatoes. Sounds simple to most, I am sure, but it's my first time at most everything I make.
I started with the pumpkin pie. I intended to make it before dinner from start to finish, but preparing the pumpkin took longer than expected, so I made the filling and stashed it in the fridge until after dinner. While stashing it, I made an epic mess sloshing the bowl around when putting it into the fridge....and I left it. I had to get working on dinner. |
The baked potatoes.....not much to say here. I microwaved them. I had to cut corners somewhere! LOL! I am not Martha Stewart! Next time I will really bake them!
Back to the pumpkin pie. Before I sat down to eat, I pulled my Pillsbury pie crust out of the freezer, and poured in the half sloshed pie filling. I had the oven at 425 already for the roast, so as normal, I baked the pie at 425 to start, and then I forgot to turn it down after 15 minutes, so I burnt the crust on that, but it wasn't a complete bust. I eventually turned it down to 350, and it turned out ok. The recipe I used was different, and even though the knife was coming out clean when I checked it, the consistency of the finished filling was a bit more moist than normal. But it's edible. Brian and I ate a little less than 3/4's of it after the kids went to bed. After sitting in the fridge all day today, it was much better. Landen, Brian and I polished the rest of it off quickly after dinner the next night!
The meal made a nightmarish mess in the kitchen, and dinner was good. It filled our bellies and made leftovers. The glaze would have been a nice addition to the pork, but overall I would call the meal a success.
REcipes
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup apple jelly
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
4 cubes chicken bouillon, crushed
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 (4 pound) boneless pork loin roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Combine the cranberry sauce, apple jelly, mustard, crushed bouillon, horseradish, garlic powder, and thyme in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
- Line a large baking pan with foil. Place pork loin in pan, fat side up. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Use a pastry brush and a small spoon to completely coat the pork with sauce.
- Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with remaining sauce.
Pie Ingredients
1 pie pumpkin = 2 + cups cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1-1/2 cups milk
1 deep dish pie crust, homemade or store bought
Directions
Preparing the Pumpkin - Choose Your Method
There are three ways to transform an uncooked pumpkin into the puree used in baking:
Baking Method
- Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Save the seeds to dry and roast
- In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down and cover with foil
- Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender
- Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it
- For silky smooth custards or soups, press the pumpkin puree through a sieve
Boiling Method
- Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides
- Peel the pumpkin and cut it into chunks
- Place in a saucepan and cover with water
- Bring to a boil and cook until the pumpkin chunks are tender
- Let the chunks cool, and then puree the flesh in a food processor or mash it with a potato masher or food mill
Microwave Method
- Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides
- Microwave on high power for seven minutes per pound, turning pieces every few minutes to promote even cooking. Process as above
- You can refrigerate your fresh pumpkin puree for up to three days, or store it in the freezer up to six months, enabling you to enjoy fall pumpkins for months to come
Pie Filling
Beat 2 eggs, add 1/4 tsp. allspice, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1-1/2 cups milk and 2 cups prepared pumpkin puree. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes then lower to 350 and cook for 40-50 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center.
5-6 slices of Bacon
1 Small Onion
1 1/2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lb. Fresh Green Beans, with ends snapped off
Salt and Pepper to taste
In medium skillet on medium to high heat, cook the bacon until it is almost done. Add onions and saute until tender. Turn heat down to low and add green beans and extra virgin olive oil. Stir until mixed well and beans are coated with oil. Cover and let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.