Pumpkins make great jack o'lanterns, but if you're ready to take your pumpkins to the next level, check out these recipes collected from fellow home economists.
Pumpkin Puree –
Getting the Good Stuff
Thanks to the original article on HomeFamily.net
by Marilee Hornung and Sheri
Taylor
To make your own pumpkin puree,
pumpkins need to be cooked and then cooled, peeled
and pureed. The puree can be frozen and
used for up to a year. While you can use the big jack o'lantern pumpkins, the smaller sugar pumpkins will provide a tastier, denser puree.
To bake, halve the pumpkin removing seeds and strings. Cut
into serving-size pieces. Place on a foil-lined pan (to avoid juices burning
onto the pan). Pour 1 cm (1/2 inch) of water onto the pan. Cover with foil and
bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven until tender, about 40 minutes.
To boil, place the peeled pumpkin in boiling water and cook
until tender (about 12 minutes). Although this method is faster, the boiling water
will dilute the flavour slightly.
To microwave, place the pumpkin chunks on a shallow
microwavable dish. Cover and cook until tender (about 8 minutes). Rotate the
dish halfway through the cooking time.
You can mash cooked pumpkin with a potato masher, put it through a food
mill or puree it in a blender or food processor. Pumpkin can be very watery, so
be sure the pieces are well drained after cooking, then drain the puree again
before storing.
Pumpkin is traditionally combined with cream, eggs and spices to make
pumpkin pie. When served in a pastry crust, a slice gets almost half of its
calories from fat. By substituting evaporated skim milk for the cream, you will
cut the fat significantly. If you choose a graham cracker crust, you will cut
the fat and calories even more.
Once you have the puree, try some
of these pumpkin recipes.
* These same
techniques can be used for most winter squash and/or canned pumpkin.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Courtesy of the Home Economists of the
Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists
1
|
unbaked 9 inch (23 cm) pastry shell
|
1
|
2
|
large eggs
|
2
|
1 cup
|
brown sugar
|
250 mL
|
1/2 tsp
|
salt
|
2 L
|
1 1/4 tsp
|
cinnamon
|
6 mL
|
1/2 tsp
|
each nutmeg, ginger, allspice
|
2 mL
|
1 1/2 cups
|
pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
|
375 mL
|
1 cup
|
evaporated milk
|
250 mL
|
Roll out pastry to fit a 9 inch (23 cm) deep pie plate. Trim and flute
edges. Chill about 15 minutes. Beat eggs in mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt,
spices and pumpkin. Add milk and blend until smooth. Bake on lowest oven rack
in hot oven at 450°F (230°C) for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350° F
(180°C) and continue baking 35-45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in
filling comes out clean. Cool and serve with dollops of whipped cream.
Pumpkin Soup
Courtesy of previous article by Heather Torrie, Public Health Nutritionist
2
tbsp margarine 25 mL
1
cup onion, chopped 250 mL
2 large cloves garlic,
finely chopped 2
1 -
1 1/2 tsp curry powder 5-7 mL
1/4
tsp ground pepper 1 mL
2
cups canned or pureed
pumpkin 500 mL
3
cups chicken broth 750 mL
1
1/2 cups milk 375
mL
Melt margarine in large saucepan. Add onion
and garlic. Cook, stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder, salt
and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add broth and pumpkin. Reduce heat to low and
cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer soup to blender. Blend
until smooth. Return to saucepan and add milk. Serve warm.
Cinnamon Sugar
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Submitted by Kathryn Baranovsky, PHEc. Recipe from the Woman’s Day website.
2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
(from 2 medium pumpkins), rinsed and patted dry
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter,
melted
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Heat oven to 300°F. Spread the seeds on a
rimmed baking sheet and
bake until totally dry throughout, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a
large bowl (reserve the baking sheet). Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Drizzle the butter over the pumpkin seeds,
sprinkle with the sugar, salt and cinnamon, and toss to coat. Spread the seeds
in an even layer on the reserved sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until
golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Pumpkin Muffins
Courtesy of the Home Economists of the
Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists
2 eggs 2
1 1/4 cups sugar 300
mL
1/3 cup canola
oil 175
mL
1 cup pumpkin
puree 250
mL
1/4 tsp baking
soda 1
mL
2 1/4 cups flour 550
mL
21/2 tsp baking
powder 12
mL
1/2 tsp salt 2
mL
1/2 tsp each
nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon 2
mL
Beat eggs until lemon coloured. Add sugar and oil. Add soda to pumpkin
puree. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with pumpkin puree to
egg mixture, stirring just until blended. Spoon into paper lined muffin tins.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) 20 -25 minutes or until tops are firm to touch. Makes
about 2 dozen muffins.
Pumpkin Pudding
Courtesy of the Home Economists of the
Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists
The cornmeal and the pumpkin combination in this recipe made for a rich,
smooth pudding.
2 cups milk 500
mL
1/3 cup white
or yellow cornmeal 75
mL
1/4 cup pure
maple syrup 50
mL
1/2 cup brown
sugar, packed 125
mL
1/4 cup butter 50
mL
1 tsp salt 5
mL
1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 mL
1/2 tsp cloves 2
mL
1/2 tsp allspice 2
mL
1/8 tsp nutmeg .5
mL
1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned) 250
mL
1 egg,
beaten 1
Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C). Using the top of a double boiler
bring the milk to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal, then place the mixture
over the boiling water and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the maple syrup and cook an additional five minutes. Remove from heat
and mix in all other ingredients. Pour into a well-greased baking dish and bake
for 1 1/2 hours or until it tests done. Serve warm with whip cream. Serves 4 to 6.
Pumpkin Pickles
Submitted by Mary
Jane Eason of Mary Jane’s Cooking School in Winnipeg,
Manitoba, a registered charity that provides education in nutritional home
cooking and homemaking in harmony with individual community and cultural
traditions, with respect and care for the environment.
2 cups Vinegar
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
1 Tbsp Pickling Spice (use your
favorite spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and whole allspice)
6 to 8
cups Pumpkin peeled and cut into
cubes (about 1 pumpkin)
Cook syrup for 15 minutes with pickling spice tied in cheese cloth. Add enough pumpkin for syrup to cover. Cook until pumpkin is glazed. Fill in hot sterilized jars with pumpkin and
pour boiling syrup over pickles and seal.
Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
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