Home Made Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
9-inch pie crust, unbaked

*ingredients can be substituted for 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400°. Use a sharp serrated bread knife to cut the pumpkin in two. You can use a sawing motion, sea-saw motion or both to cut through.

2) Use a strong metal spoon to remove the seeds and strings. (Put the seeds aside if you plan to make roasted pumpkin seeds).

3) Cover both halves with tin foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Once a fork can penetrate the skin of the pumpkin it's done.

4) Score the pumpkins skin with a sharp knife, peal off the pumpkins skin (Once cooked through, the skin should peel off easily).

5) Blend the pumpkin meat in a blender or food processor, until it is practically liquefied. (If you have extra it will keep in the freezer for about six months).
6) Preheat oven to 425°. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pie pastry, homemade or purchased
7) In mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Add eggs; mix until well blended. Add evaporated milk,and vanilla; mix until smooth and well blended. Pour pumpkin pie mixture into the prepared pastry lined pie plate.
8) Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for about 25-30 minutes longer, until the pumpkin filling is set. By: Josh Martin
Click here for a brief history of pumpkin pie
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Homemade Pumpkin Pie from Jacko Lantern Innards

A few years ago when I carved a jacko-lantern, I couldn't help but think about all the wasted food. So, I developed a method to remove the pumpkin meat without baking the pumpkin, making it impossible to use it as a jacko-lantern. I use the pumpkin innards to make several things, but my favorite is a pumpkin pie. Once you try this recipe, you will never want canned pumpkin pie again.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
9-inch pie crust, unbaked

*ingredients can be substituted for 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Directions:

1) Use a sharp knife to carefully pierce the top of your pumpkin. Remove the knife and insert a pumpkin knife into the slot. Cut a circular opening around the stem.
2) Remove the top. Use a strong metal spoon to remove the seeds and strings. (Put the seeds aside if you plan to make roasted pumpkin seeds).
 
3) Use the same spoon to vigorously scape the pumpkin meat. Set aside the pumpkin meat in a medium bowl. The more you scrape from the inside, the more purée you'll have and the more your jacko-lantern will glow.
 
4) Steam the pumpkin meat for 30 minutes.
 
5) Blend the pumpkin meat in a blender or food processor, until it is practically liquefied. (If you have extra it will keep in the freezer for about six months).
6) Preheat oven to 425°. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pie pastry, homemade or purchased.
7) In mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Add eggs; mix until well blended. Add evaporated milk, water and vanilla; mix until smooth and well blended. Pour pumpkin pie mixture into the prepared pastry lined pie plate.
8) Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for about 25-30 minutes longer, until the pumpkin filling is set. (Feel free to Facebook or tweet me for instruction how to make the Toy Story pumpkin below) By: Josh Martin Please Support My Sponsors:

Homemade Candied Yams (Sweet Potatoes)

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato (yam)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1) Dice sweet potato into medium sized chunks

2) Place diced sweet potato into a medium sauce pan. Cover the sweet potato with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes.
3) Remove the sweet potato from the water once it is tender, but still mildly crunchy. Combine sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, olive oil and water in a medium sized skillet. Stir and sauté for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

4) Enjoy, once the sugar has caramelized into a thick black sauce and the potato is tender.
By: Josh Martin

The Perfect Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 butternut squash
2 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a large serrated bread knife, cut the squash in two. You can use a sawing motion, sea-saw motion, or both to cut clean through.
2) Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Scrape the the inside until you no longer see "strings".
3) Place 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar into each half. Rub the spice mixture onto all of the orange portion of the squash. By the time you are through the spices should look like a brown paste.

4) Place butter inside each half

5) Cover tightly with tin foil, bake for 50 minutes.




By: Josh Martin

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Smokey and Savory Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup mix
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tabkespoon ground black pepper
4 cups cut green beans
1 1/3 cups fried onions

Directions:

1) Remove any stems from the green beans and break them in half. Place the beans in a steamer for 30 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, milk, Liquid smoke, black pepper, steamed beans and 1 cup fried onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.

3) Once mixed sprinkle the remaining fried onion over the top.
4) Tightly covered with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. By: Josh Martin
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