oldguycooking.com

It's fall and time for all things pumpkin.  This year, as well as last year, there seems to be a shortage of canned pumpkin.  I have found canned pumpkin pie mix, but not just puree. Here is an easy way to make your own puree for all your pumpkin needs. Begin buy buying a pie pumpkin or two. These are not the same pumpkin that you use for carving. They are smaller, firmer, and sweeter than the carving variety.  Carefully cut the pumpkin in half. Next scoop out the seeds and pulp. I use an ice cream scoop for easy removal. Try and get as much of the stringy insides as possible. Place the two halves on a foil lined pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes.  The time will vary based on the size of your pumpkins.  I test for donness by pressing down on the top. If it dents easily, its done. Allow  the halves to cool enough so you can scoop out the flesh without burning yourself.  Skins should be pretty clean after removing it. Put

This is one of my favorite recipes my mother used to make. Normally  I cut two slices and add whipped cream between the two. Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups of flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1  teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups sugar 1 cup oil 2/3 cup water 2 cups canned pumpkin 1 teaspoon vanilla Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Divide between two loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This is a great recipe for a different type of sandwich. We eat a  lot of barbecue and I wanted a sloppy joe. I didn't have enough homemade sauce, so I came up a Italian sloppy joe.  Ingredients: 1 lb or so of ground sirloin 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped onion  1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper 2 cloves garlic minced  1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves (optional) 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon Italian spice Several slices of garlic bread Begin buy sauteing the celery, onions, and peppers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until translucent and tender. Add the tomatoes and sauce.  In a separate brown the ground sirloin. When the beef is fully browned add to the sauce. Add the spice and celery leaves. Simmer for atleast an hour. When sauce is ready, grill garlic bread until toasted. Spoon meat sauce on bread and enjoy.

  My wife loves lamb. It will be on our table every holiday. Since there are just two of us, I will often just make her lamb chops. This is a quick and tasty recipe.  Begin by slicing four chops from a rack of lamb, or just buying them precut. Season the chops with a mixture of garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. If you happen to have a Tea and Spice Exchange near you, they sell an excellent lamb rub.  Allow the chops to rest after seasoning in the refrigerator wrapped for several hours. When ready to cut, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for about five minutes. Add a light coating of olive oil and sear the chops about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Don't over cook. Lamb should be a nice medium rare to medium. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and serve with mint jelly. Enjoy

  Growing up, a specialty in our house was blackberry cake. Mom made it for birthdays or any other special occasion. A few months ago, our local produce stand had blackberries 2 pints for a dollar. Between my wife and I, we ended up with 6 pints. I thought about making a cake, but that  is too much for the two of us. I looked into the pantry saw some pancake mix and everything fell into place. Ingredients: 1 cup buttermilk pancake mix 3/4 cup water 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg pinch of clove 1 pint fresh blackberries Begin by combining all the dry ingredients. Add water and mix until everything is combined. Don't  worry if there are a few lumps in the mix, over mixing will make a tougher pancake. Slice the berries in half length, and set aside Heat up your griddle and make the pancakes as directed on the pancake mix package. Allow the batter to set for about 15 seconds, then add about 6 slices of blackberries. Flip when the edges start to firm and the

 One of our favorite BBQ joints is 4 Rivers. The make a corn with Rotel tomatoes side that is my favorite. The last several times we stopped for takeout they didn't have it. Now the recipe is in John's cookbook, but I felt that was cheating, mine not only makes a great side, but also a great salsa. Ingredients: 6 ears of corn on the cob 1 can Hatch  Chilis 1 can diced tomatoes 4 green onions diced (white and green) 1/4 diced white onion 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro juice of one lime Begin by smoking the canned chilies over a cherry wood fire. I did mine in a cast iron pan lined with foil. For some reason without the foil, the peppers will pick up a metallic taste. Usually it's caused but acidic foods, but other else (including tomatoes) has this issue. Carefully remove peppers and increase the heat of your smoker. When you get the temperature to about 450 degrees, carefully add the years of corn with long tongs. Carefully rotate the ears every  few minutes until charred e

It's no secret I love tri-tip.  My brother Bob got me started on it. One of my early posts was my way of cooking it. This is my brother's way, and a quick way too! Begin by seasoning your steak with your favorite seasoning. Bob uses salt, pepper,  and garlic powder. I sometimes add onion powder Next get your grill smoking hot, as hot as it can go. Add the tri-tip and close the cover. Cook the meat for 5 minutes, then turn over. After 5 minutes turn off the gas or cut off the oxygen to your charcoal.  Allow the meat to rest on the grill for 20 minutes while the grill cools. Remove the steak and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy.