RECIPE OF THE DAY! PUMPKIN TUREEN WITH BEEF STEW

Here, pumpkin isn't just an ingredient, it's actually what you cook in, too, creating a charming container for a hearty stew. To make serving easier, choose a pumpkin that is squat and wide, rather than tall and narrow.

Tender spicy beef stew steams inside a glorious golden pumpkin, which makes a beautiful presentation. This beautiful dish can be server with a salad or soup. My friends and family so love this dish it never fails to wow them every time. ENJOY!


Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour 55 Minutes


Ingredients:

1 (5 pound) Sugar Pie pumpkin

1 1/2 pounds Tender Beef for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 (14.5 ounce) can Sliced Stewed Tomatoes

1 (14 ounce) can low-sodium beef broth

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks


Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack in lower third of oven.

2.Prepare pumpkin tureen: With a sharp knife, cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin, about 2 inches from stem. Set lid aside. With a metal spoon, scrape out seeds and strings. Place pumpkin and lid next to each other in a large rimmed baking pan and bake until pumpkin is tender when pierced inside, about 1 hour. Remove pan, but maintain oven temperature.

3.While pumpkin bakes, season beef with salt and pepper. In a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium-high heat, brown meat in oil, about 4 minutes. (Work in 2 batches if necessary.) Use a slotted spoon to remove beef and set on plate.

4.Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, cumin, chili powder, and coriander to pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Stir often over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Return beef and any juices to pot. Add tomatoes and their juices and beef broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.

5.Add sweet potato and simmer over medium heat until meat and sweet potato are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in corn; cook 5 minutes more.

6.Ladle stew into baked pumpkin; top with lid. (Keep any excess stew warm in pot.) Return pumpkin to oven for 30 minutes to blend flavors. With a pair of wide spatulas, carefully transfer the pumpkin to a platter.

Tip:

To prepare Pumpkin Shell Tureen. Cut top off 5-to 6-lb. pumpkin and scrape out fibers and seeds. Then add all Ingredients to shell for cooking.


389 Calories per serving

RECIPE OF THE DAY! FALL BAKED MAPLE APPLES

This fall bounty includes apples, walnuts (I like pecans), and maple syrup. All three come together in this super-fragrant dessert.
It's that time of year again, Apple-picking season. If you are like me you will find you have too many apples on your hands after a weekend of apple-picking with your kids and family. Here is a nice recipe to use up some of the apples. Makes for a low calorie desert.
Apples are loaded with fiber, the soluble kind that helps lower blood cholesterol.
Maple syrup, cinnamon and just a bit of butter bathe baked apples in a luscious warm sauce. YUMMMM... ENJOY!!


Prep Time: 10 min

Start to Finish: 50 min

makes: 4 servings


Ingredients

4 medium cooking apples

1 teaspoon butter or no-trans-fat margarine

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon chopped nuts, if desired


Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Core apples. Peel 1-inch strip of skin from around middle of each apple, or peel upper half of each apple, to prevent splitting.

2. In ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish, place apples upright. Place 1/4 teaspoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the syrup in center of each apple. Pour water into baking dish until 1/4 inch deep.

3. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, spooning syrup in dish over apples several times, until apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts.


140 Calories per 1 serving

RECIPE OF THE DAY! BEEFLY FLOWING LAVA POTATO

Go from pantry to table in 30 minutes. This hearty dish tops a hearty baked potato with a homemade beef stew, made with an assortment of nutrient-rich canned veggies from your pantry. This recipe cuts down the cooking and preparation time, You can use fresh veggies if you which also. This dish is so tasty, low calorie and protein rich. Your kids will love this dish the potato will look like a volcano erupting with flowing lava. ENJOY!


Preparation Time: Approximately 5 minutes

Cook Time: Approximately 40 minutes

Makes 6 Servings


Ingredients:

3 large baking potatoes 10 to 12 ounces each, preferably Idaho, washed and dried

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 can (8 ounces) peas, drained

1 can (8 ounces) sliced carrots, drained

1 can (8 ounces) cut green beans, drained

1 cup canned, diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (15 ounces) beef or turkey gravy


Preparation:

1. Preheat the conventional oven to 450°F.

2. Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe, oven-proof glass baking dish, such as a pie plate, that fits in the microwave oven. Microwave the potatoes at full power for 10 minutes (the amount of time it takes to preheat the oven). Transfer the potatoes to the conventional oven and bake until tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Ten to 15 minutes before the potatoes are done baking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, chopping and turning as needed with a spatula so the beef browns evenly, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the seasoning to the skillet, followed by the peas, carrots, green beans, tomatoes and gravy to make the stew. Stir gently to combine and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm.

To serve: Cut each potato in half across its equator and set each half, cut-side down on a plate so that it looks like a small mountain. Cut a slit in the top of each potato half and squeeze the sides gently forcing some of the potato to “erupt” from the top. Ladle 1 cup of the stew over each potato to resemble flowing lava; serve immediately.

Tip: I know there’s nothing new about microwave-baked potatoes, but the technique in this recipe is a little different and gives much fluffier results. The problem with microwaving baking potatoes is that microwave ovens don’t really bake – they steam – so the potatoes come out damp and dense instead of light and fluffy. You can quickly and easily get the best of both worlds by simultaneously preheating a conventional oven while the potatoes start cooking in a microwave oven. Then, when both the potatoes and the oven are hot, you place the spuds in the conventional oven, and they finish baking in about 20 minutes. The results are identical to oven-baking, but cooked in about half the time.


340 Calories Per Serving: Protein 21g

RECIPE OF THE DAY! WINTER MORNING PUMPKIN PANCAKES

These are good any season but taste best on cold winter mornings. You can use canned or cooked fresh pumpkin.

Whether you're looking for a festive, fall breakfast or simply an alternative to the ordinary pancake, Pumpkin Pancakes are the perfect solution. The sweet hint of brown sugar mixed with pumpkin spice makes for the perfect pancake. ENJOY!


Preparation Time: Approximately 15 minutes

Cook Time: Approximately 15 minutes

Makes 6 Pancakes:


Ingredients:

2 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 can (5 ounces) evaporated fat-free milk

1/2 cup canned solid pack pumpkin

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons vegetable oil,(100 cal) Lite syrup (optional)


Preparation:

1. Combine the baking mix, brown sugar and pie spice in a large bowl; mix well. Stir in the milk, pumpkin, eggs and oil, mixing until the dry ingredients are completely moistened. Lightly grease the griddle or skillet with oil.

2. Heat the griddle over medium heat until hot. For 4-inch pancakes, pour a scant 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle. Turn the pancakes when the tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked. Cook the second sides until golden brown. Serve warm with Lite syrup, if desired.

Suggestion: You can use fresh fruit or 100% Fruit Preserves to cut the calories down even more.

Tip: Pancakes can be made into jack-o'-lanterns by using dried cranberries or raisins for the face. Immediately after pouring batter onto griddle, arrange fruit to make eyes, nose and crooked mouth before batter sets up.

370 calories Per Serving: 3 medium Pancakes with (100 cal) Lite syrup

RECIPE OF THE DAY! SHRIMP COCKTAIL CHIPOTLE BITES

This mouth watering dish has some bold flavors that you, your family and friends will love.
Shrimp Cocktail Chipotle Bites hors d'oeuvre will be a hit at any dinner party. ENJOY!

Makes 36 cocktail bites
Servings 12

Active Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 3/4 lb raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bottle (12 oz) beer

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with side of knife

1/4 tsp salt

3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced, plus 1 Tbsp adobo sauce

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

2 Tbsp each chili sauce and minced red onion

1 tsp grated orange zest

1 Tbsp orange juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

36 large restaurant-style tortilla chips

Garnish: finely shredded iceberg lettuce, diced avocado, cilantro leaves

Preparation

1. Place shrimp in large, deep skillet in a single layer; add beer, garlic and salt. Turn heat to medium. Slowly poach shrimp 10 minutes, turning shrimp after 5 minutes, until just cooked through (beer will just be approaching a simmer at this point). Remove shrimp with slotted spoon to bowl and cool. Bring beer and garlic to a boil; boil 8 minutes, or until reduced to 3 Tbsp, skimming surface once or twice. Strain into a bowl. Add garlic and mash; cool.

2. Add chiles, adobo sauce, mayonnaise, chili sauce, red onion, orange zest and juice, and chopped cilantro to beer mixture; whisk dressing until blended.

3. Cut shrimp into 2 or 3 pieces each and add to dressing; toss to coat.

4. To serve, top tortilla chips with shredded lettuce and shrimp mixture. Garnish with diced avocado and a cilantro leaf.

Plan Ahead: You can make through Step 3 up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate.

160 Calories Per Serving

RECPIE OF THE DAY! CAJUN-CREOLE JAMBALAYA

This traditional cajun-Creole dish will please the palate with it's mix of robust flavors! With this dish, you can bring Louisiana to your kitchen. I'm sure it will be enjoyed by your friends and family.

Makes 5 servings

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

8 oz turkey kielbasa, sliced very thin

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes

1 cup uncooked converted rice

2 tsp salt-free Cajun-Creole seasoning (I used The Spice Hunter)

12 oz peeled large shrimp (21 to 25 count)

Garnish: chopped parsley and hot pepper sauce


1. Layer onion, pepper, celery and turkey kielbasa in a 3 1/2-qt or larger slow-cooker.

2. Mix tomatoes and their juices, rice and seasoning in medium bowl, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon. Pour in slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours until vegetables and rice are tender.

3. Stir in shrimp, cover and cook 20 minutes until cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley and hot sauce.

Per Serving 325 Calories