Creative Ways to Cook With Pumpkin

My boyfriend’s mom is a great cook.  I’m a picky eater, and even I know that she’s a genius in the kitchen, so when I heard that she was going to use a pumpkin to create a feast of fall dishes, I was intrigued.  As it turns out, you can make a lot more than just pies with your jack-o-lantern guts: her 30-lb pumpkin produced 12 small loaves of pumpkin bread, a dozen pumpkin muffins, pumpkin risotto, pumpkin black bean soup plus a traditional pumpkin pie.

If you’ve been wondering what to do with the pumpkins you bought but never got around to carving before Halloween, try out one of these recipes!

Fresh Pumpkin Risotto: Serves 4

• 1 ¾ pound fresh pumpkin
• 2 cans low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine

Instructions:

1. Cut the pumpkin in half and clean out seeds.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until very tender.  Once cool, scrape out the flesh and puree, adding a small amount of water, if necessary.  Set aside 1 cup puree (reserve remaining puree for another use).
2. Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add shallots; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add garlic; stir until aromatic, about 1 minute.  Add rice; stir 1 minute.  Add wine; boil until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes.  Add broth by ½ cupfuls, stirring until liquid is absorbed between additions, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, 15 to 18 minutes longer.  Stir in 1 cup pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup: Serves 5

• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14.5-oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree or 1 can (16-oz) pumpkin puree
• ½ cup red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon each kosher salt, cinnamon, allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Place oil, red onion, garlic and seasonings into a large pot.
2. Cook on low-medium heat until red onion and garlic brown.
3. Puree the beans and tomatoes with half of the vegetable broth.  Add pureed ingredients, pumpkin and test of broth to the pot.
4. Simmer uncovered until thick, about 40-45 minutes.  Before serving, stir in balsamic vinegar.

Spice Pumpkin Bread: Yields four 7-inch loaves.

• ¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 2 cups canned or cooked mashed pumpkin
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer.  Gradually add sugar, beating well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add molasses, orange juice and mashed pumpkin.
2. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; add to creamed mixture, mixing just until blended.  Stir in vanilla extract, raisins and chopped pecans.
3. Spoon batter into four greased and floured 7 x 3 ½ x 2 inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Tags: Cooking With Pumpkin, Pumpkin Black Bean Soup, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Recipes, Pumpkin Risotto

No comments yet.

Leave a comment