This is my idea of the ultimate dinner party!

Me Elmo and Cookie Monster!

 Today I had a great time rehearsing our cooking segment with Elmo and Cookie Monster!

Photo Courtesy Cecil, Our Illustrious Stage Manager at GMA

EggNog to go!

Recipe to come! Off to the movies Merry Xmas!

Photos at GMA

This is a recent photo generously taken by

Blake D'Ambrosio, great all around guy and fantastic stage hand, and darn good photographer I might add... of Joe , me KP and Chris.

I am with Joe who was my go to guy at GMA who just retired, and will be sorely missed, and Chris the current and up and coming stage hand to the stars!

Happy Thanksgiving xo

Photos, food, by Karen Pickus 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus 2011

Karen's Pumpkin Soup

 In Honor of Thanksgiving I wanted to share one of my favorite and frequently created soups.                                                  
This soup is made with fresh roasted sugar pumpkin, but you can easily substitute it with any other yellow winter squash such as butternut or to save time use canned pumpkin, 3-4 cans depending on
how thick you want the soup...add more stock if necessary.


Ingredients

1- 6 Lb. sugar pumpkin
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, med diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 shallots, sliced thinly
1 stalk celery, diced
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 sprig thyme
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground white pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 Tbs. maple syrup
¼ cup cream

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the pumpkin I half, take out the seeds and place on a parchment lined sheet pan cut side down. Place the two halves in the oven. Bake for 1-1/2 hours until pumpkin is soft to the touch and gives a bit when pressed on the outside.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a 6 quart pot sweat the onion, garlic, shallots and celery over medium low heat so that the vegetables soften but no color develops,8 minutes, add the herbs, spices salt and the white pepper. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes until vegetables are cooked through.
While the vegetables are softening, scoop the pumpkin out of the shell.
Add the pumpkin to the vegetables and stir.
Add the chicken broth and raise the heat to high, and bring quickly to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Remove the thyme sprig and carefully puree the soup in batches in a food processor.
Add the maple syrup and cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Serve with the pumpkin seeds

Spicy Pumpkin seeds

These seeds are a terrific snack or great accompaniment to the pumpkin soup.
They are a good source of magnesium, and, zinc, important minerals and protein.

Ingredients

1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 /2 Tbs. egg white
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp Fleur De sel or kosher salt
¼ tsp ground sage
¼ tsp. cayenne

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a sheet pan. With your hands, coat the seeds thoroughly with the egg white. In a small bowl combine the herb, spices and salt. Toss the combined spices on the coated seeds, making sure the seed are evenly coasted with the spice mixture. Place  in the hot oven.
Roast the seeds for 12 minutes until they are nutty brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and toss gently with a metal spatula.
Garnish the seeds for the pumpkin soup.

 Happy Thanksgiving... The Gorgeous Birthday flowers from my friend Anthony
Recipe, Photos and Writing by, Karen Pickus 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus 2011

How to Roast Winter Squash

I love the fall. A great time to eat winter squash. Roasted is my favorite way to eat them. Butternut makes a great soup and is wonderful for pies too. Here I will share my best way to roast a winter squash be it butternut, delicatta, small sugar pumpkins or acorn, and/or any other thick skinned starchy yellow to orange squash you happen upon.

Ingredients

1 medium winter squash cut in half
4 Tbs maple syrup
salt
freshly groundwhite pepper
freshly ground whole nutmeg
ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In an oven proof dish to fit the squash, place the squash cut side up.
Drizzle the maple syrup equally over both halves. Sprinkle the salt, freshly ground white pepper, the fresh nutmeg and the cinnamon evenly over the maple syrup.
Place the squash in the hot oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the squash is tender.
Serve with your favorite fall dinner.

Recipe, writing and photos by Karen Pickus 2011

Courtesy Karen Pickus 2011

A Great Snack!

ROASTED GARLIC WITH BAKED POTATO

I first wash the potatoes...russets or Idahos work well but you can get a sweeter taste by baking a red bliss or white boiling potato, they are great too! Set the temperature in your oven to 450 degrees. Bake a potato by cutting slits into the potatoes,  put them right on the oven rack and roast them for about an hour until they give when you press against the skin firmly with your finger.
Roast the garlic by cuting the top 3rd off of a bulb of garlic. Place the bulb of garlic in a small piece of aluminum foil. Place into the hot oven and roast for about an hour until the cloves are golden and have softened.
When they are ready. Place the potato on a plate, cut it open and (experience the tableside sauna) then season with coarse grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Separate 2-3 cloves and squeeze the garlic from the peels. Top with Dijon mustard and sour cream and you have a great mid afternoon snack ( I sometimes do this with a small boiling potato if I have them on hand) that will definately hold you for dinner or serve with dinner to accompany the entree and veg.
These are also great without the garlic, if you prefer.

Writing, recipe and photo, by Karen Pickus, 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus, 2011

Breakfast of Champions

This is an amazing breakfast! It holds you. Loaded with protien, complex carbos and fiber and omega 3's. No refined sugar, or carbs and very hearty.

1/2 cup organic rolled oats
1/2 cup organic quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups fresh blueberries (you can use any fresh fruit here).
2 Tbs. ground flax seeds
Sprinkle of cinnamon on each serving

Bring the water to a boil in a 2 quart pot.
Rinse the quinoa in a strainer. When the water comes to a boil add the oats and the quinoa to the pot.
Lower the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes until all of the water is nearly absorbed. Let the grains steap in the pot for another 10 minutes.
Place the berries in the bottom of 4 bowls. Divide the cereal into 4 portions over the berries. Top with the ground flax seeds and finish with the cinnamon.
Serves 4.

Tip: Dedicate a coffee grinder to flax seeds and grind a container full and keep in an airtight container in the freezer and use on your whole grains, yogurt, soups and smoothies.

Recipe, writing and Tips and photos, by Karen Pickus 2011
Courtesy Karen Pickus, 2011

Quick and Easy Bakes