Mystery Squash #2

Back in this post I showcased some mystery squash I'd picked up at the farmers market. I decided to bust out the second one for a very tasty looking dessert that I'll serve to some friends we're hosting for dinner tonight.

Creamy Pumpkin Rice Pudding

Ingredients

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2/3 cup Pumpkin Puree, or canned pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 medium red apple and/or green pear, cored and thinly sliced (1 cup)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
2 Tbsp. honey


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In small saucepan combine water and rice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring once.

2. In medium bowl combine eggs, milk, Pumpkin Puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt. Stir in rice and 1/2 cup of the cranberries. Pour mixture into 1-1/2-quart straight-sided deep baking dish. Place dish in baking pan on oven rack. Pour boiling water into baking pan until water comes halfway up sides of baking dish.

3. Bake 30 minutes; stir. Bake 35 minutes more or until outside edge appears set. Remove dish from oven. Cool slightly on wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, in bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup cranberries and boiling water to cover. Let stand 15 minutes; drain. Just before serving, toss together apple, walnuts, honey, and cranberries. Spoon over pudding. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

5. To store, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.



Last night, I roasted this mystery squash to substitute for the pumpkin. I yielded more than I'll need, so I'm guessing some pumpkin bread is also in our future :)

Oh, and if you're wondering what else is on the menu? Well, I typically get more ambitious when hosting dinner on Saturday or Sunday, as there's a lot more time to plan, shop and cook. But, with tomorrow being Halloween, we had to get together with our friends tonight, so I am going with a tried and true standby.

I am sure I have mentioned my favorite cookbook before, which is simply a collection of recipies from the Everyday Food magazine. I have never received this magazine before, though I have given subscriptions to it often as gifts (great gift idea for someone who loves too cook, but is also realistic about time committments in the kitchen!). This cookbook is full of flavorful, easy recipes, often with many ingrediants that most anyone who cooks regularly will have on hand. Many of the recipes also have some nutritional information included in an index (for those times when we're counting calories).

Anyway, tonight, I'll serve Braised Chicken with Mushrooms & Oven Baked Polenta

Ingredients
4 - 6oz boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (or Pork Cutlets)
Coarse salt, and ground pepper
2T olive oil
1 lb white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/2 in thick
4 garlic cloves, havled
1/2 c dry white wine
1 3/4 c reduced sodium chicken broth
2T chopped fresh parsley (more for garnish)


Directions
1. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1/4 t each of salt and pepper. Heat 1 T of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken; cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add the remaining 1 T oil to the hot skillet. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/4 t of salt. Cover; cook over medium heat until the mushrooms release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid. Cook over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Pour the wine into the skillet, cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 minute. Add the stock and parsley; cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover; simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the cutlets and polenta topped with the mushrooms and a drizzle of the cooking liquid. Garnish with additional fresh parsley.

Oven Baked Polenta

Ingredients

3/4 c cornmeal
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 c milk
2T butter
1t fresh marjoram (or 1/4t dried)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. In a lidded baking dish, whisk together 3c water, cornmeal, 1 1/4 t salt, and 1/8 t pepper. Cover and bakefor 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

2. Remove from the oven, and add the milk, butter and marjoram, and whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately.


Getting hungry already!