Jack Olantern Stew Food

WINTER VEGETABLE STEW

Steps:

• Cut the top off the pumpkin as though you were going to make a Halloween Jack-o-lantern. Seed and scrape the pumpkin so the inside is clean. Clean and reserve the seeds. Rub the lid and inside of the pumpkin with 1/4 cup of the spice mixture. Rest the lid and pumpkin cut-side-down on a baking pan. Wrap the pumpkin completely with 1 layer of aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 45 to 55 minutes or until the pumpkin turns just tender.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add the leeks, onions, nutmeg, jalapeno, and cinnamon sticks. Saute until the leeks begin to soften. Add the squashes and root vegetables to heat through. Add the hot squash sauce, the potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the herbs. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and stand upright. Ladle the stew into the cavity of the pumpkin.
• To serve, toast some Russian black bread or walnut raisin bread, and place a slice in each of several warmed bowls. Sprinkle some of the spice mixture on the rim of the pumpkin. Use a carving knife to cut thin slices off the pumpkin. Arrange the slices around the bread then ladle some of the stew over the bread. Sprinkle the freshly cut rim of the pumpkin with more spice mixture and the stew with more herbs. Repeat the process until the stew and pumpkin are gone.
• Puree any leftover pumpkin with some spice mixture and brown sugar and use as you would canned pumpkin to make a savory pumpkin pie.
• Combing above ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.;

JACK O'LANTERN STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Rinse well. Carve a spooky face onto the pumpkin, without going all the way through the flesh. Rinse well, oil outside of pumpkin. Bake the pumpkin shell for 30 minutes.
• While shell is baking: saute the onion, green and red peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown ground beef and chicken. Add the veggies and cooked rice and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
• Remove pumpkin from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and soup into the meat mixture. Place meat mixture into pumpkin. Put back in oven for 20 minutes. Serve on a platter with cheesy biscuits- -very yummy.

HALLOWEEN JACK-O'-LANTERN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine beef, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt in a large bowl. Push mixture down into the bottom of the bowl and smooth the top. Flip bowl over into a large cake pan with sides to hold drippings. Use fingers to mold a stem shape at the top and make a happy or scary pumpkin face in the meat.
• Combine spaghetti sauce and orange food coloring in a small bowl. Paint the meat loaf surface with the sauce mixture and sprinkle Italian seasoning on the stem.
• Bake in the preheated oven until inside is no longer pink, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Drain grease from cake pan or transfer loaf to a serving plate.

JACK-O-LANTERN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar, shortening, egg, and molasses, mixing until smooth. Fold in rolled oats.
• Roll cookie dough out to 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 48 circles using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Arrange 24 of the circles on a baking sheet and place a teaspoon of pumpkin filling on each. Cut Jack-O-Lantern faces on the remaining 24 circles, then lay the faces over the pumpkin filling, sealing the edges.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.