October: Appetizer Recipes

Here is a list of recipes that we will be making Friday, October 15, 2010. RSVP by Thursday, October 14, 2010. There will be a limited space of 10 people.

Pumpkin Bread provided by Cynthia

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
5 egg whites
1 cup applesauce
...2/3 cup buttermilk
1 to 1/2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Cook: 350 degrees F, 50 minutes, 3 9x5 loaf pans

Pumpkin Soup (Modified from AllRecipes.com)
Enough to feed an army

Ingredients
6 cups chicken stock
4 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Fresh black crushed pepper and salt

Directions
1. In a pot, heat oil, add onion, garlic, and pumpkin.
2. Sautee for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add stock, salt, thyme, pepper, and bring to a boil then simmer for 30
minutes.
4. Puree soup in a blender.
5. Serve with drizzle of heavy cream and garnish with parsley
6. Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a
boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Baked Stuffed Pumpkin (Modified from CountryLiving.com)
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 ounce(s) sweet Italian sausage
1/2 cup(s) chopped onion
1 (1 1/2-pound ) pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup(s) chopped Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup(s) white wine
1 cup(s) Israeli couscous, cooked
1/4 cup(s) dried cranberries
1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon(s) fresh thyme
1 teaspoon(s) fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) fresh ground pepper
4 small (1-pound) pumpkins, hollowed out

Directions
Make the stuffing:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Decase and crumble the sausage meat and place it in a large saucepan over
medium-low heat.
3. Cook the sausage until it is almost done -- about 8 minutes. Remove the
sausage from the pan, increase heat to medium
4. Add the onion and 2 cups of the chopped pumpkin. Sauté until the
pumpkin begins to soften -- 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Add the chopped apple and sausage and sauté for 3 minutes.
6. Add the wine, cook for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and set aside.
7. Combine the couscous, dried cranberries, olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt,
and pepper in a large bowl. Add meat mixture to the bowl and toss to
combine.

Bake the pumpkins:
1. Evenly fill the hollowed-out pumpkins with the stuffing mixture.
2. Place the pumpkins in a shallow baking dish.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil
4. Bake for 25 minutes
5. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes
6. Serve immediately.