Butternut Squash Pie Recipe

If you love pumpkin pie, you should consider making a pie made from butternut squash. It makes a delectable pumpkin type pie. My husband's grandmother first introduced me to butternut squash pies many years ago. I've been growing the fruits in my garden ever since. They are plentiful and grow well with barely any attention at all. If kept in a cool place, the fruits will last for months after harvesting. If you find that you like this recipe as much as I do, you should consider growing some for your own use.

Butternut Squash Pie Recipe Makes 1 pie

9 inch deep dish pie crust (single crust)
3/4 cup white or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
2 cups milk (or 1 can evaporated milk and enough water to equal 2 cups)
2 cups cooked mashed butternut squash
3 eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves and salt together in a large bowl. Mix until spices are mixed thoroughly with sugar.

Stir in the milk, squash, beaten eggs, and melted butter or margarine. Mix well until smooth.

Pour the pie filling into an unbaked deep dish pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes. Pie is done when shell is lightly browned and center springs back when lightly touched with finger. You can also insert a knife in the center to see if it comes out clean.

Tip: If you have too much filling to fit in the pie shell, you can bake it as custard in a buttered pie pan or casserole dish. It won't take nearly as long to bake as the pie, so check it frequently.

Christmas Lamb Dinner & Capon Recipe - Succulent & Tastier Than Traditionally Dry Turkey

Why is Christmas dinner causing problems for you and your family if you don`t like turkey. Okay, and yes Turkey is a traditional meat eaten on Christmas day however, it does not mean you have to force feed yourself and others to eat something not pleasing to the palette. Christmas Dinner is about tasty food that is acceptable for those sat round the dinner table. If peoples belly rumble due to emptiness then Christmas dinner was not to their required taste, however if their bellies should bloat then this therefore proves that the sitting filled all - and it was all down to you.

Now established that Turkey will not grace the table this year, it is time to look at other succulent meats to take its place. Some people although not a lover of eating turkey still buy poultry produce because they think the table looks odd without a roasted bird sitting in the centre.

Listen up if the right joint of meat lays claim to the middle of the Christmas dinner table - Turkey will not be given a second thought. Although a dry meat it does not stop folk purchasing one because of tradition. Some people still cook Turkey and after serving its purpose of looking Christmassy it is removed to make way for Lamb, Beef, Pork, or Chicken. The Turkey is never wasted and used to make tasty sandwiches fillings. Beat dry Turkey down with beetroot, pickles and flavoured sauces. Use it for casseroles and stews. It also makes appetizing burgers and good in green salads; it can be used in stir fry dishes also. Turkey bits flavour omelettes.

Christmas Roast Leg of Lamb Dinner

Full leg of lamb, (5lbs, 2.25 kilos)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Chopped thyme and Rosemary
Bottle of burgundy
8 oz carrots
8oz white turnips
2 lbs potatoes
1 lb parsnips
10 shallots
4 garlic cloves
Sprigs of rosemary and thyme
2 Bay leaves
1 tablespoon of redcurrant or apple jelly
Sea salt and black pepper
Parsley to garnish and add color

This is a busy time for the chef so allow time for ingredient preparation and other. Christmas Eve is a good time to sort things out so you are not rushed off your feet on the day.

Using a skewer pierce the leg of lamb several times. Insert sprigs of rosemary into piercings. Lightly dribble olive oil over the lamb, cover and leave to stand till on work top ready for cooking.

Cooking Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 8 (450°F, 220 °C.) Pour olive oil into roasting tin then rest on top shelf to heat the oil - leave for 15 minutes. Wash and peel root vegetables and cut into quarters. Shallots can be peeled and left whole. Peel your garlic cloves if you prefer, but not necessary.
Dry vegetables with kitchen towel and add to hot oil in the roasting tin, turning the vegetables over to coat. Add whole garlic cloves. Put in the oven for 30 minutes turning once. Remove the vegetables and put aside.

Now rub sea salt and powdered black pepper into the leg of lamb and place in the roasting dish for 30 minutes. Then take out and place on top of the cooker on a medium heat. Now pour in the wine. Be careful with spitting hot oil. Baste lamb while adding chopped thyme and rosemary. When the wine begins bubbling, - cover the tray with tin foil. Lower oven temperature to Gas Mark 3, (325 °F, 170 °C), Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.

When cooked baste lamb joint with meat juice and return vegetables with two bay leaves added. Place back in stove for a further hour and a half. Don't forget to remove the sprigs of Rosemary before serving. Leave roasted leg of lamb aside to cool for 30 minutes.

Still using juice from the lamb and vegetables add jelly and simmer to thicken. Squeeze cooked garlic cloves into the mixture. Dress vegetables with parsley and sit the leg of lamb on a serving dish..

Capon Dinner

Not quite as big but yet as tasty like the traditional bird is the Capon or as some folks say the "castrated rooster." The capon is a large poultry bird bigger than a chicken. Capon as the centerpiece for Christmas lunch is an ideal substitute.

Capon cooking and ingredients:

4 to 6-pound capon
1/2 cup melted butter
salt and black pepper
4 tbsps basil
4 tbsps thyme
4 tbsps tarragon
2 tbsps rosemary, finely chop as with the 3 above
3 tbsps minced garlic
2 medium onions, quartered
2 sticks of celery, sliced
Cube 2 red apples
Dice 2 green apples
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock

Fresh is always best, however if your capon comes frozen thaw in refrigerator for 48 hours. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Swill capon thoroughly with cold water and kitchen towel dry. Place poultry in middle of a roasting dish and season with salt and pepper. Using a small basin mix melted butter with the chopped herbs and garlic to make a paste. Rub this under the breast skin and over outer skin. Circulate capon giblets along with diced vegetables and apples into the dish. Pack tightly over with tin foil and roast like this for 2 1/2 hours. Check for tenderness at 2 hours. Remove foil and allow skin to brown. When cooked remove capon from roasting dish and keep warm. A tasty sauce is easily made from dish drippings.

Discard as much of the fat as possible from the dish without upsetting the natural drippings. Be careful while in the process of making the sauce to avoid burns. Place dish over high heat to caramelize juice. Deglaze drippings with wine, scraping the dish with a spatula. Add chicken stock, and allow it to simmer. Do not boil and reduce to approximately 1 cup. Strain and season - then serve the sauce with sliced capon.

I bet throughout the whole time while you followed both recipes given here not once did Turkey come into mind. Just proving a point that's all. Tradition or not, if it tastes as good as it looks then you are onto a winner

Beer Can Chicken Recipe

Chicken and beer are good on its own. But I bet they are great together. There have been a lot of recipes that uses beer instead of wine. A good beer and chicken recipe is a great addition for your Sunday barbeque party. Beer has sugar in it and sugar is known to tenderize the meat, by putting beer into your regular chicken recipe, you will have a wonderful eating experience.

Many recipes require you to add wine or soda or sometimes even fresh fruit. Beer works the same as lemon, it makes the meat tender; but by using beer, it leaves a distinct taste and jazzes up your old recipe. Beer and chicken recipes are slowly getting popular and working their way up to every kitchen's favorite.

Beer has been known to be utilized in several recipes. There are steaks marinated in beer, bread made of flour and beer and seafood cooked in beer sauce. But I guess, the best one is always the simplest; good old beer can chicken recipe. Here are some recipes that you can try at home:

Beer Butt Chicken

Ingredients: 1 cup butter; 2 tbsp garlic salt; 2 tbsp paprika; salt & pepper to taste; I can beer and 1 whole chicken.

Directions: Preheat your grill at low heat; in a skillet, melt half cup butter and mix in half the garlic salt, half the paprika, salt & pepper; discard or better yet drink half of the beer; add remaining garlic, butter, paprika, salt and pepper to the remaining beer can; insert can inside the chicken; baste chicken with seasoned butter; place in a baking sheet and bake on the grill; cook for over three hours in low heat or until internal chicken temp reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Enjoy your beer can chicken recipe.

BBQ Beer Chicken

Ingredients: 2 tsp lemon pepper; 2 tsp salt; 2 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tsp garlic salt; 2 whole chicken (cut in halves); 1 can beer.

Directions: Mix seasoning together in a bowl and coat chicken halves. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours before grilling. Preheat the grill. Grill chicken for 15 minutes bone side down. Turn chicken and grill for 15 more minutes. Pop the beer can and spray enough mist without disrupting the flame. Turn chicken often; baste it with beer until the internal temperature of the beer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Definitely a beer can chicken recipe worth trying.