New years festive feast!

Stuffed pumpkin with venison steak with home-made apple cinnamon compote.

Who says we can only cook fancy dishes during Christmas? You can find many more excuses to experiment with the somewhat more expensive cuts of meat now that they are available! Most of the times they prepare the same way like their more common alternatives. For example venison may taste like a gain meat, it can be grilled just like a beef Steak. Although it is important to know that you can serve it more rare due to the good quality of the meat itself. I recommend grilling it in a searing hot pan with a little bit of drowned butter for 6 minutes and resting it for an equal amount of time. I've posted a recipe for stuffed pumpkin before so I will not go into great detail. Preheat the oven to 200 degree. Scoop out the pumpkin, season with the Italian mix and transfer on a baking tray. Roast the vegetable for 20 while you focus on the stuffing. Cut all of the remaining veggies into small cubes and mix in the cooking crème, balsamic crème, basil and nuts. Season with some lemon pepper and sea salt. Give it a good stir and spoon the mixture in the pre-roasted pumpkin, sprinkle over some flakes of a good quality cheese. Return the tray back in the oven and roast for a another 20 minutes until the cheese has become molten and golden brown. Once everything is ready you can start plating. Simply serve the pumpkin with a spoon as the flash has become so tender you won't need a knife. Slice the steak into trances and serve with a small bowl of compote. Game meat and autumn fruits pair really well. Especially if you serve everything with a good glass of red wine. A good start of the new year right! You could almost start calling yourself a chef at home if you combine it with a nice starter and delicious dessert!

Ingredients: 200 grams of pumpkin, 125 grams of venison steak, 100 grams of bell pepper, 100 grams of mushroom, 60 grams of bell pepper, 30 ml of cooking crème, 25 grams of cheese, 15 grams of fresh basil, 15 grams of pine nuts, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon of balsamic crème, 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper, 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Extra: home-made compote (check the recipe on the desserts page)