It’s Pumpkin Time
Honey Mustard Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small pumpkin (about 10 cups diced)
- 3 carrots
- 3/4 tsp. black mustard seed
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth (chicken broth is OK too)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 3/4 c. powdered skim milk
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1 tsp. salt
Method
- Peel and chop pumpkin and carrots, and simmer in water to cover until tender.
- Toward the end of cooking time, heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mustard seeds. Cover pan and keep over medium-high heat until popping sound of mustard seeds begins to die down a bit, then immediately add broth (starting with 1/4 c. and adding more as needed) and onion and reduce heat. Cook and stir until onion is translucent.
- Measure spices while the onion is cooking; then stir them into the mixture and allow to cook on low heat for a minute or so until fragrant.
- Turn into the pumpkin pot, using a cup or so of the cooking water to rinse the spice pan into the soup pot.
- Puree seasoned pumpkin and carrots in their cooking liquid, adding milk, honey and salt to mixture in the processor.
- Add salt to taste. Makes 10 cups.
Pumpkin Lasagna
Ingredients
-
90ml/3fl oz extra virgin olive oil
-
1kg/2lb 3oz pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, cubed
- paprika, to taste
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 250g/9oz fresh ricotta cheese
- 250g/8¾oz green lasagne pasta sheets
- 150ml/5¼fl oz milk
- 25g/1oz grated parmesan cheese, or vegetarian parmesan-style grating cheese
For the béchamel sauce
- 55g/2oz butter
- 55g/2oz plain flour
- 350ml/10½fl oz milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the pumpkin and cook, covered, stirring gently from time to time, until the pumpkin is tender, up to one hour.
- Season the pumpkin with plenty of paprika, a grating of nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper and a little salt, to taste.
- Add the ricotta cheese while it’s still on the heat. Stir well then remove from the heat. Cover and allow mixture to stand.
- For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan without letting it brown. Add the flour little by little, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- When the flour has evenly absorbed the butter, continue to cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the 350ml/10½fl oz milk a little at a time, strirring constantly to make a smooth, thick and creamy sauce. Season.
- Arrange a layer of lasagne pasta sheets in the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Spoon over a third of the pumpkin mixture. Lay more pasta sheets over the top, followed by another layer of pumpkin and another layer of pasta, followed by a final layer of the pumpkin mixture. Finish with a layer of lasagne pasta sheets.
- Pour the 150ml/5¼fl oz milk over the top and allow it to drain through to all pasta layers.
- Bake for ten minutes in the preheated oven, remove and spread the béchamel sauce on top.
- Bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until all the milk has been absorbed by the pasta and the lasagne looks cooked and is beginning to go crisp.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parmesan and place back in the oven for a few minutes – take care not to burn the pasta or the béchamel on top. Serve immediately.
Pumpkin Cheese Cake
Crumb Crust:
- 1 cup cookie crumbs
- 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Pumpkin Filling:
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 15-ounce pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons bourbon or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
Sour-Cream Topping:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Crystallized ginger strips, for garnish
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In 9″ by 3″ springform pan, with fork, stir graham-cracker crumbs, melted margarine or butter, and sugar until moistened. With hand, press mixture onto bottom of pan. Tightly wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent leakage when baking in water bath later. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- Prepare Pumpkin Filling: In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth; slowly beat in sugar until blended, about 1 minute, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula. With mixer at low speed, beat in pumpkin, sour cream, bourbon or vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
- Pour pumpkin mixture into crust and place in large roasting pan. Place pan on oven rack. Carefully pour enough boiling water into pan to come 1 inch up side of springform pan. Bake cheesecake 1 hour 10 minutes or until center barely jiggles.
- Meanwhile, prepare Sour-Cream Topping: In small bowl, with wire whisk, beat sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until blended. Remove cheesecake from water bath, leaving water bath in oven, and spread sour-cream mixture evenly over top. Return cake to water bath and bake 5 minutes longer.
- Remove cheesecake from water bath to wire rack; discard foil. With small knife, loosen cheesecake from side of pan to help prevent cracking during cooling. Cool cheesecake completely. Cover and refrigerate cheesecake at least 6 hours or overnight, until well chilled. Remove side of pan to serve. Garnish with crystallized ginger.