Pumpkin Soup

No specific recipe, but something that I LOVE to do for Halloween (or any fall themed event) is to serve soup or stew in a hallowed out pumpkin.  I get pie pumpkins and hallow them out (save the flesh to make something later).  I cook whatever stew or soup I like and then fill each pumpkin with the stew and bake for 20 mins or so to soften the remaining flesh.  It turns out very cute!


[from Tracy]

Baked Apples with Cranberries

Baked Apples with Cranberries (exciting name huh?)

Partially core apples (however many you want), leaving the bottom intact (so it creates a bowl).  Peel the top half of the apple.  Fill each apple with dried cranberries (I actually used frozen and it came out fine), top with a spoonful of brown sugar and 1/2 tsp of butter.  Then sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake at 375* for 35-45 minutes (till apples are tender). 

[from Becca]

Apple Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Apple Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 halves roasted butternut squash

2 cups apple juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp curry powder

1 can white beans

Salt and ground black pepper

Scoop flesh out of butternut squash with a spoon. In a medium sauce pan, combine apple juice, flesh of butternut squash, white beans, curry powder, salt and pepper. Set pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour soup in a blender and puree until smooth. Ladle into bowls.

Good autumn soup!

[from Amy]

Jill’s Pumpkin Dessert

Jill’s Pumpkin Dessert

 

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups plus 2 T. flour

1 cup oil

1 small can pumpkin

½ tsp salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together.  Pour into a large cookie sheet that has been sprayed with PAM.  Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Cake Frosting

 

1 (8 oz) cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 stick butter

4 cups powdered sugar

Mix wet ingredients.  Add powdered sugar gradually and mix on high speed.  Spread over cooled cake.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1/3 cup plain pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie mix stuff)

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup milk

1 medium  banana

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon all spice

1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional)

1 tablespoon ground flax meal (optional)

a few ice cubes

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Makes 1 smoothie.

[from Maryea]

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups almond milk + 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (this was my attempt to make buttermilk-ish pancakes without buttermilk.  You can substitute buttermilk, or any milk + the lemon juice)

1/4 cup yogurt

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons agave nectar (if you don’t have agave you could try honey or brown sugar)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon all spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

pure maple syrup

Measure your milk to almost 1 1/2 cups, but not quite.  Add the lemon juice and let it sit for about five minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, and spices.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add the milk, yogurt, pumpkin puree, agave nectar, and vanilla and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Pour the wet ingredient onto the dry and mix until there are no dry spots.

Allow the batter to sit while the griddle or your pan preheats.  Add a little butter and start cooking the ‘cakes!  I used about 1/4 cup amount per pancake and allowed them to spread out a little thinly.  Make sure you don’t try to flip them too early.  Look for bubbles in the center and the edges should be starting to brown.

Drizzle your pancakes with pure maple syrup.

This recipe makes about 15 pancakes.  I ate 4.  Meghan had 2.  You do the math for how many Tim ate.  I thought we might have a few leftover, but nope.  All gone.  :-)

[from Maryea]

Sweet Potato-Cauliflower Soup

Sweet Potato-Cauliflower Soup

olive oil

1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 sweet potato, cut into small cubes (I don’t peel mine, but feel free to do so if you wish)

2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into small pieces

6 cups vegetable stock/broth

1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 stems of kale, deveined and torn into small pieces

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 sea salt

dash cinnamon (optional–I love cinnamon and the subtle sweetness it adds to savory dishes)

In a large soup pot, heat a few swirls of olive oil over medium heat (about 2 tablespoons?  I didn’t measure).  Add your onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add the sweet potato and stir so it is coated with some of the oil.  Allow to cook about 5 minutes.  Add the cauliflower, stock, parsley, thyme, and salt and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer about 25-30 minutes.  Add the black beans and kale and cook another 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the dash of cinnamon and serve.

[from Maryea]

Pumpkin Latte

Speaking of yummy things...




I'm having the Pumpkin Latte right now from the crockpot365 blog. YUM. I made apple pumpkin pie the other day and was trying to figure out something to do with the extra pumpkin.



So far 2 batches of pumpkin lattes, and pumpkin sausage pasta tomorrow. Sounds disgusting but is amazingly good.



The pumpkin latte can be done in a pan on the stove (or even the microwave in a pinch). Per person: 1 cup of milk, 1 Tablespoon vanilla (I didn't have any the 2nd time, couldn't tell a difference), 1 T of sugar (or sweetened with splenda or whatever you like), 1 T pumpkin (canned pumpkin), 1/8 tsp cinnamon, pinch of cloves, pinch of nutmeg, barely a pinch of ginger (again, out of ginger, couldn't tell). Whisk and heat.



Did I mention YUM????


[from Raegan]