‘Cooking’ Articles

How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds In The Oven

After I did my little experiment on “How to Cook Pumpkin” I had some pumpkin seeds left to cook in the oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Have all the raw pumpkin seeds in a strainer, then rinse with water and remove the stringy pumpkin debris.

2. Rinse thoroughly and keep them wet do not dry them because the salt needs to stick to them.

3. I used course sea salt and sprinkled it on the seeds while in the strainer. (You can use any salt you may have)

4. Put seeds on a cookie sheet and try not to overlap seeds. I sprayed some oil on a pizza cookie, sheet but any cookie sheet will do.

5. Watch closely while pumpkin seeds are roasting in the oven they can brown very quickly.

6. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet. Then seal in a plastic container or ziploc baggie.

My Family loves these every year when Halloween comes they make great snacks and they are good for you. “Pumpkin Seeds Nutritional Value”

If you want your seeds to have a gourmet flavor you can sprinkle these items on instead of the salt:
* garlic salt
* season salt
* black pepper
* salt free seasoning ex: Mrs. Dash
* cayenne pepper
* seasoning salt
* Cajun blend
* Mexican style chili lime seasoning or taco seasoning
* Italian seasoning
* grated Parmesan
**Please note: Some people sprinkle a little bit of olive oil or some melted butter over their pumpkin seeds then the seasoning mix, before they are put in the oven then add one of these seasonings listed above.

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How To Cook Pumpkin

This year I forgot to carve my pumpkin for Halloween! I realized I had a whole pumpkin sitting on my front porch so now, it is the end of November and Thanksgiving is right around the corner-instead of throwing my pumpkin away I decided to cook it, and freeze the puree in 2 cup increments to use for pumpkin bread and muffins throughout the year. I will be doing an experiment to cook my pumpkin, it will be prepared three different ways.
Whether you are cooking up pumpkin to make pumpkin seeds or pumpkin pie any of these cooking methods should work well. The end result is basically the same a cooked pumpkin!

The first way I will be cooking my pumpkin is in the crock pot and the second method will be cooking my pumpkin in the oven and last but not least the third way will be cooking the pumpkin and on the stove top.

Pumpkin preparation:
When I was preparing my pumpkin I washed it in the sink with some soap and water making sure to scrub off any dirt or debris left on the pumpkin. Making sure it was clean because the skin would be left on, and the pieces would be stacking upon each other. I used soap and hot water in the sink, but if you like you may also use half a cup of white vinegar in a sink full of water. I removed the seeds and most of the stringy stuff inside the pumpkin.

Cooking a Pumpkin in the Crock pot

After I completed washing my pumpkin, the pieces were cut into smaller chunks so that I could fit them into my large crock pot. I filled the crock pot with pumpkin and added 2 cups of water turned the crock pot on high setting, poking it periodically with a fork to make sure the pumpkin was finished. It took about 4 hours in the crock pot on high.
With this method and the pumpkin came out, I think the best out of the other 2 methods.

*Texture- Was perfect sliced with a knife like creamy butter. Was not watery.
*Time- The time was a bit long 4 hours, but it was worth the end result.

Cooking a pumpkin in the oven

With this method of cooking in the oven, I cut the pumpkin into larger chunks and sprayed cookie sheet with some oil and laid the pumpkin skin side down on the cookie sheet. Then I turned the oven on 350°
I guess it came out good this way but it seemed more like a roasted pumpkin- It was not exactly the texture I was looking for to use it as a puree in cooking. It would have been a good method for cooking other roasted squashes or root vegetables.

*Texture- Seemed dry.
*Time- Was about 2 hours.

Cooking a pumpkin on the stove top

For the stove top I cut the pumpkin into medium pieces. Filled the pot with water and laid the pumpkin pieces into the cold water. Turn the stove on high until it started to boil and then turned it down to a simmer.
This would have been my second choice if I did not have a crock pot and had to cook my pumpkin.

*Texture- Good moist texture but a bit watery, I did put it in a strainer and let it sit for awhile to drain.
*Time- About 1 hour total time with the lid on the pot. This was the quickest cooking time.

Recipes to make with fresh pumpkin:
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin pancakes
Pumpkin muffins
Pumpkin cheesecake
Pumpkin bread
Pumpkin soup

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Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes: 5 Ways To Spice Up Your Salad

You will save much more money by making your homemade own salad dressings. So toss out those coupons, grab those vegetables fresh from the garden (or supermarket) and get ready for some delicious homemade salad dressings that will make you think twice about going store-bought.

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How To Make Homemade Pizza: An Inexpensive Cheese Pizza Recipe

Instead of take-out or delivery, enjoy this delicious homemade cheese pizza recipe. This recipe comes from Amy Dacyczyn’s book called “The Tightwad Gazette II”. She got the pizza dough recipe from a cookbook called “The Food Processor Bread Book” by The Editors of Consumer Guide (currently out of print so check your library.)

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Homemade Pizza Sauce

Yields: 7 Quarts

I make this sauce with fresh tomatoes and peppers grown in the garden. The spices come cheap from a health food store and we always pick up the tomato paste on sale. If you don’t have the advantage of your own garden, you can probably just double up on coupons and buy store bought sauce. Also, it doesn’t hurt to ask friends or relatives with a garden for surplus supplies.

• 12 Onions
• 6 Green Peppers
• 1½ cups of Vegetable Oil
• 1½ Teaspoons of Black Pepper
• 36 Tomatoes, skinned
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 3 Tablespoons of Salt
• 4 Tablespoons of Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons each: oregano, sweet basil, and thyme
• 12 bay leaves
• 5 12-ounce cans of tomato paste

Directions:

1. Grind (as you would with a meat grinder) onions and peppers, and simmer in vegetable oil. Add black pepper.
2. In a large pot, place tomatoes, garlic, salt, sugar, herbs, and onion-pepper mixture. Bring to a good rolling boil.
3. Add tomato paste last, one can at a time. Pour into canning jars and process in a pressure cooker for 25 minutes. Sauce can be frozen.

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Thick And Chewy Pizza Dough

Bread dough made in a food processor requires no hand kneading. (A food processor is, in my opinion, one of the most valuable tightwad tools.)

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of warm water (105º to 115º F)
• 1 package (1 tablespoon) of dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Combine 1/4 cup of the water with the yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve the year, and let stand until bubbly, about five minutes.
2. Put the flour, oil, and salt into a food processor, and process about five seconds with a steel blade. Add the yeast mixture, and process for about 10 seconds, or until blended.
3. Turn on the processor and drizzle just enough of the remaining water through the feed tube so the dough forms a ball that cleans the sides of the bowl. Process so that the ball turns around about 25 times. Put the dough ball onto a 14 inch greased pizza pan or large cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a blow, and let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Pat the dough out so that it covers the pan, leaving a ridge on the edges. (Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, spin the dough in the air a few times.) Spread with pizza sauce and add cheese and toppings (Olives, Pepperoni, etc.)
5. Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

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Related Articles:

• How To Make Homemade Bisquick™, plus 5 delicious recipes!
• How to make Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix, plus 5 delicious recipes!

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How to make Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix, plus 5 delicious recipes!

Homemade taco seasoning is easy to make, and can save you money. With this recipe it costs less than half of what you would pay for the pre packaged stuff. Plus, no preservatives!

This homemade taco seasoning mix tastes exactly like the packaged version. It’s versatile and easy to make. Listed below the homemade taco seasoning mix are 5 delicious recipes that you can use your taco seasoning on. Try them out for dinner, or a great dip for the ball game!

Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe

Yields: About 1/2 a cup.

• 6 teaspoons of chili powder
• 4½ teaspoons of cumin
• 5 teaspoons of paprika
• 3 teaspoons of onion powder
• 2½ teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients, and store in an airtight container. The homemade mix is twice as strong as the store bought one, so add only half as much. 7 Teaspoons is equal to one store bought package.

And now, the recipes.

Once again this homemade taco seasoning mix is twice as strong as the store bought brand, i’ve made it easy for you by converting each package to 7 teaspoons in the recipes, but just keep this in mind for any other recipes you find online. Basically 1 package = 7 teaspoons of the homemade seasoning.

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Easy Homemade Tacos

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/4-1/2 of cup water
• lettuce (shredded)
• cheddar cheese (shredded)
• onion (chopped)
• tomatoes (chopped)
• soft and/or hard taco shells
• hot or mild sauce (bottled, optional)

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and drain off fat.
2. Add water and 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix.
3. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-25 minutes.
4. If mixture gets too thick before cooking is complete, add a small amount of water to thin.
5. Serve on soft or hard taco shells topped with your favorite vegetables and sauce.

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Enchilada Casserole

• 2 lb. of ground beef or turkey
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of salsa
• 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 cup of corn (thawed)
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
• 2 cups of grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can of refried beans
• 4 medium soft flour tortillas

Directions:

1. In skillet, brown and drain ground beef or turkey.
2. In same skillet with meat, add: tomato sauce, salsa, taco seasoning, corn, and pepper.
3. Mix and let simmer.
4. In round 2 quart covered round casserole dish (Corningware) begin to layer:  Flour tortilla, Heaping tablespoon refried beans (spread), Meat mixture (as above), Grated cheese.
5. Continue layering until out of above mixture. (Does approximately 3-4 layers)
6. Make sure top with cheese.
7. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.
8. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips!

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Touchdown Taco Dip

Yields: 4 Cups

• 1 (2 lb.) loaf  ofVelveeta cheese
• 2 lb. of lean ground beef
• 1 large jar of  salsa (your choice green or red)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of chopped green onion (optional)

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and drain.
2. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add Velveeta to drained ground beef and taco meat mixture cook on medium low heat make sure to stir until cheese is melted.
4. Add jar of salsa. Cook slowly over low about 5-8 min until all the cheese it is all melted and mixed together well with salsa and ground beef.
5. You can keep this dip in a crock pot on low. Top with Green Onion (optional) and serve warm with tortilla chips.

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Taco Nachos

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
• 3/4 cup of water
• 3/4 pound of processed cheese (cubed)
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 1 (12 ounce) of package tortilla chips
• 1 (16 ounce) pf can re fried beans
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh tomato
• 1/3 cup of chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and mix in homemade taco seasoning mix and water. Continue cooking 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Place processed cheese and milk in a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until blended and smooth.
3. Place tortilla chips on a large, microwave safe dish. Spread with refried beans. Top with beef and cheese and mixtures.
4. Microwave approximately 2 minutes on high, until the cheese has melted into the beef. Top with tomato and green onions. Serve warm.

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Taco Chili

Yields: 8 Servings

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
• 2 cans (14.5 oz ea.) of diced tomatoes
• 1 can (10 oz) of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can (15 to 16 oz) of pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can (15 oz) of chili beans in sauce
• 1 cup of frozen whole kernel corn
• shredded cheese (mozzarella, Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
• tortilla chips, slightly crushed

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion, one-half at a time, till meat is browned and onion is tender.
2. Drain off fat. Transfer to a 3 1/2- to 5-quart crockery cooker.
3. Stir in homemade taco seasoning mix, diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chilies, pinto beans, chili beans in chili sauce, and corn.
4. Cover; cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
5. Sprinkle each serving with some cheese and chips.

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Please comment below, and share any recipes you’ve made using Taco Seasoning Mix.

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Related Articles:

• How To Make Homemade Bisquick™, plus 5 delicious recipes!
• How To Make Homemade Pizza: An Inexpensive Cheese Pizza Recipe

Tags: cooking at home, copycat recipes, recipes
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