This week I am sharing two of my new autumn favorites—Warm Autumn Pumpkin Salad and Sweet Potato Casserole with a Streusel Topping. My husband loves my Warm Autumn Pumpkin Salad. The last time I made it I used Boar’s Head Cranberry Cinnamon Chevre to give it a more Thanksgiving flair. It is also delicious with crumbled feta cheese. I have been perfecting a sweet potato casserole with a streusel topping. No marshmallows on sweet potatoes in our house. Marshmallows are for roasting over a fire with the grandkids to make s’mores.
We love Brussels sprouts in our family, and for as many times as I have cooked them, I finally have the process down pat. My husband likes them a bit charred. I have tried air frying them, and although they are charred, they are just not cooked through. Roasting them at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes and then increasing the temperature of the oven to 425 degrees F results in tender, yet perfectly charred Brussels sprouts.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Warm Autumn Pumpkin Salad
Serves 4
For the pumpkin:
1 (3-pound) sugar pie pumpkin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon large grind black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Rinse and dry pumpkin. Place pumpkin in microwave and cook for 1 ½ minutes. This makes it easier to slice. Using a sharp knife, slice off stem and about ½-inch of top. Slice off ½-inch of bottom creating a flat surface.
Cut pumpkin in half lengthwise slicing from the stem end to the bottom. Using a spoon (a pumpkin carving scraper works nicely), scrape out seed and sticky pulp. (You can save the seeds to roast.)
Peel the skin off the pumpkin halves using a Y-shaped peeler. Peel enough so that there are no green lines remaining. If you don’t have a Y-shaped peeler, you can roast the pumpkin with the skin on and peel it afterwards.
Cut each half into wedges about ½-inch thick. Place pumpkin pieces in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, place olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over pumpkin pieces. Using your hands, mix so that all pieces are evenly coated.
Place pumpkin pieces on a sheet pan so that they do not overlap. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a spatula, turn pieces over and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden but not mushy. When cooked, remove pieces from the baking sheet to cool.
For the salad:
5 ounces arugula, baby spinach, or a combination of both
Roasted pumpkin pieces to taste
¼ cup chopped pecans, or to taste
¼ cup dried cranberries, or to taste
1 package (4 ounces) Boar’s Head Cranberry Cinnamon Chevre, cut into ½-inch cubes
or use your favorite crumbled feta
Salt to taste
Large grind black pepper to taste
For the balsamic vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, place balsamic vinegar. Add olive oil and whisk to combine. Place arugula (or spinach) on 4 salad plates. Arrange pumpkin pieces, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and chevre on arugula. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tips on selecting pumpkin: Buy rock-hard sugar pie pumpkins. When you press hard on a pumpkin, it should not give to pressure. Its skin should be matte, not shiny. Select sugar pie pumpkins with firm, full, cork-like stems. Avoid specimens that have skinny or green stems. Do not buy pumpkins with soft spots or bruises.
Tips on storing sugar pie pumpkins: Store pumpkins in a cool, dry place. They can last for months. Pumpkins with soft, moist flesh surrounding the seedpod deteriorate more quickly.
Sweet Potato Casserole with a Streusel Topping
Serves 6
For the sweet potatoes:
3 pounds sweet potatoes
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Poke sweet potatoes several times with a sharp knife and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until cooked through. If larger sweet potatoes are not cooked, scoop out the flesh and microwave for 1 minutes, or until soft enough to mash.
Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 X 9-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
In a large bowl, place cooked sweet potatoes and mash. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. In a small bowl, place melted butter, egg, and milk and stir to combine. Add the butter mixture to the sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Using a handheld mixer, beat gently to combine.
Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish.
For the streusel topping:
½ cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
In a small bowl, place pecans, brown sugar, flour, and butter and stir to combine. Place the streusel topping evenly over the sweet potatoes and bake for 40 minutes.
Tips on selecting sweet potatoes: Look for firm sweet potatoes, with smooth skins that are free of bruises and cracks. Avoid wrinkled or sticky sweet potatoes or ones that have sprouts.
Tips on storing sweet potatoes: Do not refrigerate sweet potatoes, but keep them in a cool, dark place. They will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.
Tips on storing sweet potatoes: Do not refrigerate sweet potatoes, but keep them in a cool, dark place. They will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Serves 6
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
4 slices pancetta, sliced ¼-inch thick and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon large grind black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place Brussels sprouts in a baking dish large enough so that they do not overlap. Add pancetta, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, toss to coat evenly.
Roast Brussels sprouts for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Increase the heat of the oven to 425 degrees F and roast for another 10 minutes.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and toss again to coat evenly.
Tips on selecting Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts should be firm with a good green color, have compact leaves, and clean ends. Do not buy puffy, yellow, or wilted Brussels sprouts.
Tips on storing Brussels sprouts: This vegetable keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator when placed in a reusable, paper, or plastic bag or tightly wrapped in plastic.
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates
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