Break out the pumpkins this Halloween
No matter how you celebrate Halloween, the menu plays a big part. From children’s parties to adult parties to school parties, food is often the focus of the event. While skinned cherry tomatoes make good bloody eyeballs and gelatin makes excellent guts, trick-or-treaters need to eat more than just scary treats and candy. So break out the pumpkin—fresh or canned—for a delicious and seasonal treat.
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Since the pumpkin will shrink and shift as it bakes, put the pumpkin on a baking sheet before baking.
Dinner in a Pumpkin
1 medium sugar pumpkin
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups tomato juice
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
1 cup uncooked white rice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash pumpkin, cut off top, scrape out seeds and discard or save for another use. Place beef in a large, deep skillet. Crumble and cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain fat; add onion and garlic, sauté 2 minutes. Add sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato juice and rice; mix thoroughly. Layer inside of pumpkin with 1/3 of cabbage, green beans and beef and rice mixture. Repeat layers, replace lid and bake until pumpkin is tender, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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Since Halloween revolves around so many sweet treats, this pie offers one item that packs all the flavor of pumpkin pie with less sugar.
Reduced-Sugar Pumpkin Pie
1 9-inch piecrust, unbaked
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
3/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup half and half
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under and crimp. In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, SPLENDA, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and half-and-half until blended. Add eggs and vanilla, stirring until blended. Pour filling into piecrust. Bake until pie is set in the center, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Makes 8 servings. Recipe adapted from SPLENDA.
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Pantry Pointers
To make your own pumpkin pie spice, combine 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
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