Nana's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Although this recipe is mostly used in our family on Thanksgiving, I thought the fact that it was pumpkin made it a good one for Halloween use. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, pie is adult person candy. I'd much rather you handed me this pie than a Snickers bar any day of the week. It's a pumpkin pie, but much lighter and airier. Once you try it, I think you'll agree.

NOTE: The "chiffon" part of the pie calls for beaten eggs whites, raw. Raw egg can contain salmonella. You can either use pasteurized egg whites or substitute the beaten egg whites for whipped cream (although the end product will be a little different).

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 t teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3 egg yolks, beaten slightly
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 baked 9" pastry shell (see recipe below)

In a sauce pan, combine brown sugar, gelatin, salt and spices. Set aside. Combine egg yolks and milk. Stir into brown sugar mix. Let stand a few minutes.
Heat the mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin. Chill until mixture mounds slightly when spooned - about an hour.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating to form stiff peaks. Fold pumpkin mixture thoroughly into egg whites.
Turn into cooked crust, chill until firm. Top with a dollop of whipped cream!




Nana's Pie Crust
Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Set time: 45 minutes to 12 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes (optional)
Makes two single crusts

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Crisco OR butter (butter is the healthier option)
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup cold water

Combine the flour, salt and shortening in large bowl. Blend with a pastry blender, pastry cutter or knives until crumbly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cider vinegar and water. Drizzle over the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
Shape the dough into two patties, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 45 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight.

Unbaked crust
When chilled, take one patty out of the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface. The crust should be slightly bigger than the pie pan. When you’re finished with the first crust, repeat process with the second crust.
Fill the crust with the filling and bake according to the pie recipe.

Pre-baked crust
For a pre-baked crust, preheat the oven to 350°F. Press the crust firmly into the pie pan and freeze the crust until chilled, or for at least 30 minutes. This keeps the crust from slipping down the sides of the pan.
When the pie crust is chilled, line it with parchment paper, wax paper or aluminum foil. Fill the crust at least two-thirds full with weights: dry beans, rice, or stainless-steel pie weights. Bake with the weights for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for a few minutes and carefully remove pie weights. Poke holes in the bottom of the pie crust with a fork and bake for an additional 10 minutes without the weights until the crust is golden brown. Cool completely before filling. You can cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil during baking to keep the edges from drying out or burning.

Easy Minestrone Soup

They say the first hard frost will be tonight...there's nothing like the hearty minestrone soup Jan Little from Rio Vista Wines contributed to Savoring Chelan to ward off the pending winter chill.

"This easy soup is just bursting with the flavor of fresh vegetables, which can be varied depending on what is seasonally available. If time allows, substitute fresh veggies for canned. My 11 grandchildren clamor for me to make this. What better way for them to get their vegetables?" ~ Jan Little, Rio Vista Winery

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 12

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion (about 1 cup), chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans
1 can (12 oz.) whole-kernel corn
2 stalks celery (about 1 cup), sliced
2 cups shredded cabbage     (about 1/4 head)
2 small zucchini (about 2 cups), sliced
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti
3 cups water
1/2 cup red wine or water
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Cook and stir ground beef, onion and garlic in Dutch oven or skillet until beef is light brown; drain. Stir in tomatoes (with liquid), kidney beans (with liquid) and remaining ingredients; break up tomatoes with fork.
Heat to boiling; reduce to medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until macaroni and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Serve in large soup bowls topped with grated Parmesan cheese with the breadstick recipe below.


Recipe Tips
After browning beef, stir in all ingredients except macaroni, cover and refrigerate. 20 minutes before serving, add macaroni and continue cooking.
Substitute any fresh or favorite vegetables that are in season, such as asparagus or carrots.
To make breadsticks to go with the soup, cut a loaf of French bread in half, then into 4-inch long pieces. Cut each piece into 3 sticks. Brush cut sides with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake sticks on ungreased pan at 450˚F until golden brown, about 8 minutes.         Makes 30 bread sticks.

Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup

According to the cool cloud cover, it's soup season. This is a recipe I made up last winter, combining a lot of my favorite things: butternut squash, smoky chipotle peppers, and creamy coconut milk. Although it may sound strange, don't leave out the Granny Smith apple if you can help it; it adds just the right amount of tartness to the dish. If you make the recipe with vegetable broth and omit the sour cream or yogurt topping, you've got a delicious vegan recipe. You can also add red peppers or your other favorite veggies, and you can easily substitute the coconut milk for cream.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves 6-8

1 butternut squash

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, diced

1 red onion, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

6 carrots, diced

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

13.5 oz. can coconut milk or light coconut milk

1 can Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned)

Sour cream or plain yogurt for topping

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the butternut squash or pumpkin in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the halves face-up on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Bake the squash for 30-45 minutes, or until a fork easily goes through the flesh.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and allow to brown slightly. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add the celery, carrots, apple and raisins, stirring to coat. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

Add the chicken or vegetable broth and coconut milk. Open the can of chipotle peppers and add ONE OR TWO ONLY to the soup, depending on how hot you like it. Pour in some of the sauce, but remember it will get HOTTER that it is initially. Simmer the soup on medium-low heat until the squash is done.

When the squash is done, allow to cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh and add to the soup.

Pour batches of the soup into a blender or food processor to puree. Be careful – the soup will be HOT. When all the soup has been pureed, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. If you like an even sweeter end result, mix honey into the sour cream or yogurt. Serve immediately or freeze to enjoy later.