Cooking With Pumpkin
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Lots of Pumpkin Recipes
Fall is the time to cook with fresh pumpkin. Farmers markets and roadside stands abound with the large orange vegetable, which is a member of the squash family.
I buy canned pumpkin when it is on sale around the holidays and cook with it throughout the year. Pumpkin is a cheap nutritious food and can be prepared many ways.
Pumpkins are packed with carotenes, fighting both cancer and heart disease. Pumpkin delivers about the same amount of beta-carotene as cooked carrots and canteloupe, and contains two times more alpha-carotene than any other vegetable or fruit.
I am collecting the best pumpkin recipes and posting them here! Check back often as I will be adding more delicious recipes for pumpkins in the coming days and weeks!
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Selecting a Pumpkin for Cooking
A good place to buy a pumpkin for cooking is a fruit market, farmers' market or roadside stand. Look for a small, bright-orange pumpkin of the type sold for carving jack-o-lanterns. If you can find a small, flat reddish orange pumpkin, it will be sweeter.The big pumpkins are not good for cooking. Besides being large and unwieldy, these big guys tend to get stringy and have a tough texture. Better leave the huge pumpkins to the kids for Halloween carving.
Regardless of variety, bring home a pumpkin that smells fresh, has no blemishes and is nicely shaped. It will be the best pumpkin for eating.
How to Cook a Pumpkin
Now that you have the perfect pumpkin, how do you cook it?First, wash off all of the dirt, then put your pumpkin on a sturdy cutting board. You will want to use a large, sharp knife to safely cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out all of seeds and set them aside to toast later.
Cut your pumpkin into chunks and decide if you want to bake them or cook them on top of the stove.
To bake: Put the pumpkin chunks on a greased baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees until the pulp is soft (about an hour). Remove the pulp from the shell, and then puree in a food processor.
To steam: Peel the chunks, then simmer them in a covered saucepan with about 1/2 cup of water about 25 minutes until tender.
How to Cook With Pumpkin
Cooking With Pumpkin
Quick Tips!
- 1To make mashed pumpkin, heat your pureed pumpkin with some margarine or butter, a little ground cinnamon and some skim milk.
- 2Make a pumpkin sauce to serve with meat by simply seasoning pureed pumpkin with salt and pepper to taste.
- 3Serve your chunks by reheating them in the microwave, then sprinkle them with a little
- 4Add pumpkin chunks to canned soup to boost both the flavor and nutritional value.
Chop pumpkin and add to soup with other vegetables. It is delicious and packs a nutritional wallop!
Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Serves: Makes 2 loaves
My daughter and I love this pumpkin bread recipe! It is very easy, and you can add in your favorite ingredients for a bit of variety.
I found this in an old church cookbook published by Christ Church, United Methodist in Louisville, Kentucky in 1982.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 can pumpkin
- 3 1/3 cup flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmet
- 1 cup oil
- 2/3 cup orange juice
Instructions
Mix together the eggs and sugar, then add the pumpkin. To this mixture add the flour and spices. Gradually add in the oil and orange juice, mixing well after each addition.
Pour mixture into greased and floured loaf pans or a bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Optional add ins: 1 cup each raisins, dates or chopped nuts.
*Spicy Pumpkin Sauce*
You need: canned pumpkin
ground ginger
raisins or dried cherries
Stir together.
Warm in microwave.
Delicious served with chicken or pork.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Serves: make 6 dozen cookies
Pumpkin spice cookies are fun and easy to make.
These pumpkin cookies taste great alongside a bowl of vanilla ice cream and a cup of hot coffee. What a treat!
I have had this recipe in my collection for about 30 years. It came in a newsletter from the apartment complex where I lived when I was in grad school. I do not know the origin. All I know is it has become a yummy tradition to make these in the fall!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 cup of softened shortening
- 2 cups of firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of grated orange peel
- 1 cup of cooked or canned pumpkin
- 3/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of chopped nuts
Instructions
1 . Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and grease two or more cookie sheets.
2 . Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
3 . Cream together thoroughly the shortening and the brown sugar.
4. Add the eggs to the sugar and shortening mixture and beat with electric mixer until creamy.
5 . Stir in the grated orange peel, the pumpkin and the milk. Blend well.
6 . Add the flour mixture and blend well.
7. Stir in the nuts. Do not over mix.
8 . Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the greased cookie sheets. Leave about two inches between each cookie to allow for spreading.
9. Bake for eight to ten minutes at 400 degrees.
10. Remove cookies to a baking rack to cool.
11.Allow the cookie sheets to cool before adding more cookies. This recipe makes about six dozen pumpkin spice cookies.
Pumpkin Dump Cake
An Easy Pumpkin Recipe
This Pumpkin Dump Cake is an easy dessert recipe to make for Thanksgiving, Christmas or anytime. It is especially good for the holidays or during the autumn months.
This is one of those recipes that is good to have the ingredients on hand during the holidays in case you get a call that unexpected company is on its way. It is fast to make and easy to clean up.
This is a very easy and quick recipe that is delicious and good for feeding a crowd. If you are looking for something different to take to an office party around the holidays, this recipe is an easy choice.
Surprise everyone with a delicious alternative to pumpkin pie!
Ingredients
- one 28-ounce can of pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup of evaporated milk
- 1 box of yellow cake mix
- 1 stick of melted butter or margarine
- 1 cup of chopped pecans
Instructions
1 . Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9 by 13 inch cake pan very well.
2. Dump the canned pumpkin, the pumpkin pie spice and the evaporated milk into a large bowl. Stir to mix well.
3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the well-greased cake pan.
4. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Do not add any other ingredients to the cake mix.
5. Drizzle melted butter over the top of the dry cake mix, then sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The dessert is ready when the top is golden and crispy.
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Shake
More of the Best Pumpkin Recipes on Squidoo
More Great Ways to Cook With Pumpkin!
Pumpkin Recipes Elsewhere on the Web
- Rachael Ray Pumpkin Recipes
- There's a lot more to pumpkin than just pumpkin pie! Rachael shows us how we can make many savory dishes using this squash fruit that is rich with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, potassium and calcium.
- Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipes
- Lots of links to easy pumpkin soup recipes.
- Cooking With Canned Pumpkin: Fresh Ideas for a Frugal Super Food
- Dozens of links to savory dishes made from pumpkin.
- Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes
- A delicious treat: pumpkin carrot cupcakes!
Pumpkin Cookbooks
Cooking With Pumpkin Poll
This Pumpkin Lens Has Been Angel Blessed
Thank you to these Squid Angels for stopping by to bless this pumpkin lens! Your hard work is very appreciated!What is Your Favorite Pumpkin Recipe?
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Nov 30, 2011 @ 12:34 pm | delete
- Pumpkin Pie! FOR SURE!
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sandyspider
Nov 21, 2011 @ 12:08 pm | delete
- Pumpkin pie! Thanks for adding this to my Recipes, Reviews and Food Collection lens.
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Moonbeam973
Nov 16, 2011 @ 3:26 pm | delete
- Turkey pumpkin chili
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GramaBarb
Nov 10, 2011 @ 8:09 pm | delete
- My weakness is good old fashioned pumpkin pie. Blessed
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Othercat
Nov 7, 2011 @ 8:27 am | delete
- Last year I cooked with fresh pumpkin for the first time. My pie didn't turn out so good, but the pumpkin butter was delicious!
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mothersdayflowersmacon
Nov 6, 2011 @ 9:09 am | delete
- Nice lens, this is what we will do on Thanksgiving
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RenaissanceWoman2010
Nov 6, 2011 @ 3:56 am | delete
- Thanks for all of these great ideas and recipes for cooking pumpkin. I love pumpkin and should be eating more of it. *Blessed*
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NidhiRajat
Nov 3, 2011 @ 12:31 pm | delete
- nice lens and superb work
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jasmineann
Nov 3, 2011 @ 5:52 am | delete
- I haven't done a lot of cooking with pumpkins and this has given me new ideas thank you!
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scaguy
Nov 2, 2011 @ 8:23 pm | delete
- I like pumpkin cooked and seasoned like squash. its a nice change.
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More Great Autumn Cooking
Pumpkin
Super Food for 12 Months of the Year
Pumpkin, a Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year
Amazon Price: $2.30 (as of 05/30/2012)
These 125 recipes celebrate the varied ways that pumpkin can enhance a wide range of dishes, from beverages, starters, and snacks to soups, salads, main courses, and, of course, pies, cookies, breads, and cakes. Whether starting from the whole pumpkin (which, Stovel shows, is easier than many may think) or from canned pumpkin (a fine alternative), cooks will be surprised by the variety of ways they can use the entire fruit, including blossoms and seeds, as well as the pulp itself.
Petite Pumpkin Casserole
Le Creuset Stoneware 12-Ounce Petite Pumpkin Casserole, Flame
Amazon Price: $39.95 (as of 05/30/2012)
Imagine the impression you will make on your family and friends when you serve your pumpkin dish in this beautiful casserole! This is certain to spice up all of your special autumn holidays and events, and bring a warm and cheerful glow to your kitchen. These come in various sizes. There are also additional coordinating serving pieces.
