Everything pumpkin!
I'm back! After Halloween I found myself with a fairly large pumpkin that was uncut (kiddo could barely hold it for above picture to show) and I just couldn't bring myself to throw it out which got me to thinking "what in the heck am I going to do with all this pumpkin?!" My family loves pumpkin pie, and it's that time of year to get our fill in, but I've already shared my pumpkin pie recipe and honestly I didn't want to make just another pumpkin pie with what I had. With my thinking cap on, I decided I wanted to go out of my family's comfort zone and expand our culinary palette. After some thought, I decided I would make a pumpkin soup and pumpkin bread. And of course, with all those seeds I just had to make a super yummy snack of roasted pumpkin seeds for the kiddos to munch on. While I got mixed reviews from the kiddos on the soup, I loved it!, they absolutely loved the pumpkin bread and seeds. Make one of these the next time your in the mood for something pumpkin and you won't be disappointed.
What's cooking in my kitchen this week:
Pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread and roasted pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread and roasted pumpkin seeds
What you'll need:
Pumpkin soup
5 cup pumpkin puree
2 cup chicken stock
1 sweet onion
2-3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cup half & half
2 Tbsp butter
2 carrots
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Pumpkin soup
5 cup pumpkin puree
2 cup chicken stock
1 sweet onion
2-3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cup half & half
2 Tbsp butter
2 carrots
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Pumpkin bread
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 well-beaten eggs
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 well-beaten eggs
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Roasted pumpkin seeds
pumpkin seeds
oil
salt
ground black pepper
onion powder
pumpkin seeds
oil
salt
ground black pepper
onion powder
How to make it:
First, I had to get that pumpkin roasted. You can use canned pumpkin puree if you aren't in the mood, or don't have time, to make pumpkin puree yourself. To make yourself, start by cutting the pumpkin up and then de-seed it, making sure to save the seeds for later!
Put in baking dish with 1/2 inch of water and roast in a 375° oven for 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Let cool until you can handle it and peel off skin. Next, put in food processor and puree. If you have a large pumpkin, like I did, you will need to do this in several different batches. Once pumpkin is pureed, you will need to drain the excess water. Line a colander with cheese cloth, or paper towels if you don't have that, and put colander over large bowl. Put pumpkin puree in colander and let drain for 2-3 hours, this is extremely important or there will be way too much water when using in recipes - I know from previous experience with a pumpkin pie disaster.
Discard water once there is no more readily dripping from the colander, transfer puree into a container with a lid and keep in fridge until ready to use.
Once I had my pumpkin puree ready, I started with the pumpkin bread. Whisk flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, all spice, salt, and baking soda in large bowl.
Cut in shortening, like for pie crust.
Mix in pumpkin puree until well incorporated.
Fold in eggs and vanilla extract.
Stir in raisins and walnuts.
Pour into greased bread pan. Bump pan several times to remove air bubbles.
Bake in 350 oven 60-65 minutes, until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes and remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack. Slice when ready to serve.
Next it was onto the pumpkin soup. Dice up onion and put in small bowl.
Slice up carrots and put in another small bowl.
Mince garlic and put in another small bowl.
Remove thyme and rosemary leaves from the woody stock and finely dice, set aside.
Melt butter in large stock pot and sautee onion for 1-2 minutes, add carrots and continue sautee 5-6 more minutes, until onions are translucent.
Add garlic and sautee just until you start to smell the garlic and then add pumpkin puree and chicken stock, stirring around.
Add half and half and season with the salt, ground black pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
Cook soup on medium heat 20-30 minutes, until carrots are soft. Once carrots are soft, transfer soup to food processor and puree. This will need to be done in several batches; put the pureed soup in a large bowl so you can get through it all.
Once all the soup has been pureed, put back in pot and keep on low heat until ready to serve.
Last but not least was roasting the pumpkin seeds. Clean the seeds of all the pumpkin insides and then place on cookie sheet lined with paper towels to dry completely. Once dry, remove paper towels and drizzle about a tablespoon of oil over the seeds.
Roast in 400° oven for 10 minutes, until seeds are golden brown. Season to taste with salt, ground black pepper, and onion powder. Enjoy!
First, I had to get that pumpkin roasted. You can use canned pumpkin puree if you aren't in the mood, or don't have time, to make pumpkin puree yourself. To make yourself, start by cutting the pumpkin up and then de-seed it, making sure to save the seeds for later!
Put in baking dish with 1/2 inch of water and roast in a 375° oven for 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Let cool until you can handle it and peel off skin. Next, put in food processor and puree. If you have a large pumpkin, like I did, you will need to do this in several different batches. Once pumpkin is pureed, you will need to drain the excess water. Line a colander with cheese cloth, or paper towels if you don't have that, and put colander over large bowl. Put pumpkin puree in colander and let drain for 2-3 hours, this is extremely important or there will be way too much water when using in recipes - I know from previous experience with a pumpkin pie disaster.
Discard water once there is no more readily dripping from the colander, transfer puree into a container with a lid and keep in fridge until ready to use.
Once I had my pumpkin puree ready, I started with the pumpkin bread. Whisk flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, all spice, salt, and baking soda in large bowl.
Cut in shortening, like for pie crust.
Mix in pumpkin puree until well incorporated.
Fold in eggs and vanilla extract.
Stir in raisins and walnuts.
Pour into greased bread pan. Bump pan several times to remove air bubbles.
Bake in 350 oven 60-65 minutes, until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes and remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack. Slice when ready to serve.
Next it was onto the pumpkin soup. Dice up onion and put in small bowl.
Slice up carrots and put in another small bowl.
Mince garlic and put in another small bowl.
Remove thyme and rosemary leaves from the woody stock and finely dice, set aside.
Melt butter in large stock pot and sautee onion for 1-2 minutes, add carrots and continue sautee 5-6 more minutes, until onions are translucent.
Add garlic and sautee just until you start to smell the garlic and then add pumpkin puree and chicken stock, stirring around.
Add half and half and season with the salt, ground black pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
Cook soup on medium heat 20-30 minutes, until carrots are soft. Once carrots are soft, transfer soup to food processor and puree. This will need to be done in several batches; put the pureed soup in a large bowl so you can get through it all.
Once all the soup has been pureed, put back in pot and keep on low heat until ready to serve.
Last but not least was roasting the pumpkin seeds. Clean the seeds of all the pumpkin insides and then place on cookie sheet lined with paper towels to dry completely. Once dry, remove paper towels and drizzle about a tablespoon of oil over the seeds.
Roast in 400° oven for 10 minutes, until seeds are golden brown. Season to taste with salt, ground black pepper, and onion powder. Enjoy!
Did you know?
On this day in 1917, Irv Robbins was born (died May 5, 2008). Co-founder, with Burt Baskin, of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1946 in Glendale, California.
On this day in 1917, Irv Robbins was born (died May 5, 2008). Co-founder, with Burt Baskin, of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1946 in Glendale, California.
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