Tag: Pumpkin

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

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No tricks, all treats here. Using dates to naturally sweeten these muffins with roasted pumpkin, autumnal spices and sultanas. Delicious as they are, they also can be topped with orange mascarpone icing for the final touch.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 200g pitted dates
  • 50ml boiling water
  • 200g roasted pumpkin flesh
  • 175g vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 100g sultanas
  • 200g self raising flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
  • 200g mascarpone

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
  • In a jug add the dates and boiling water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before blending to a paste with the roasted pumpkin flesh.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the oil, eggs and date pumpkin puree. Mix together before adding the orange zest and sultanas. Mix again to combine.
  • Sieve the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda into the wet mixture and fold in.
  • Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases. Evenly divide the batter between the 12 cases and bake for 25 minutes, or till a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
  • Remove from the tray and allow to completely cool on a cooling rack.
  • Just before serving mix the mascarpone and 1/2 the juice of and orange till smooth. Spoon onto the top of the muffin, and if desired decorate with more orange zest.
Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Option to freeze the muffins once they are cooled for up to 3 months.

Per muffin: 364kcal/ 24g fat/ 6.4g saturated fat/ 31g carbohydrates/ 2g fibre/ 5.2g protein

Pumpkin Patch

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Sometimes food can be a little fun. Use your leftover carved pumpkins from Halloween to make this tasty treat without the trick!

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the gnocchi

  • 2 potatoes (around 250g)
  • 500g pumpkin
  • 200g pasta flour (plus extra for dusting)
  • Nutmeg
  • 30 mini sage leaves (option to use slices of larger sage leaves or rosemary)

For the kale grass

  • 300g Cavolo Nero or kale, cut into 1cm slices including the stems
  • 7-8 cloves of garlic, skin removed
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the crispy sage

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin oil oil
  • 12 large sage leaves

To serve

  • Parmesan (optional)
  • Pea shoots

Method

  • Take the potatoes, pierce the skin and microwave for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection. Place the pumpkin and the partially cooked potatoes on a roasting tray and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing the flesh from the skins.
  • Take 200g flour and pour it onto your work surface. Make a well in the centre. Using a potato ricer (option to mash in a separate bowl if you don’t have a ricer) and add 200g cooked pumpkin and 80g cooked potato flesh to the well. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly grated nutmeg.
  • Using a dough scraper, cut the pumpkin and potato into the flour till a rough dough is formed, before bring together with your hands, kneading as little as possible. If needed, add a little extra flour. The mixture shouldn’t be dry. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the kale grass by bringing a large pan of water to boil. Add your garlic cloves and kale, cooking for 7-8 minutes. Reserving the cooking water, add the kale and garlic to a high-speed blender with a little cooking water and olive oil. Blend till an even rough grassy texture throughout.
  • In a small frying pan, heat the remaining oil with the sage leaves till crispy and fragrant.
  • Shape the gnocchi dough by cutting strips and rolling into a log. Cut into little pillows (option to use these as they are) around 10g each. Shape into a little ball, and use a piece of cooking string to make indentations across the surface like a pumpkin. Push a baby sage leaf into the top for the pumpkin stem.
  • Bring a large pan of water to boil and cook the gnocchi for around 5 minutes. Once they float to the top they are cooked through.
  • Serve by plating up the kale grass, adding an optional sprinkle of parmesan to make it look frosty, followed by the pumpkin gnocchi, sage leaves and oil, and pea shoots for tendrils.

Per serving: 423kcal/ 16g fat/ 3.2g saturated fat/ 54g carbohydrates/ 6g fibre/ 12g protein

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Still looking for ways to use up your pumpkin this year? I’ve covered using the skin and the flesh, so not it’s time to talk about seeds! I don’t even wash the seeds, contrary to what many other people suggest. This helps keep the recipe as simple as possible, and also means that any pumpkin fibres still attached will soak up any flavours added to them aka flavour bomb!

Pumpkin seeds are full of magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin K and manganese, as well as being a good source of antioxidants. In addition, carving pumpkin seeds are higher in fibre than standard green pumpkin seeds bought from the shop – another win for making your own!

These little seeds make the perfect snack on the go, or alternatively, use them to add textures to soups or salads.

You could roast them plain, but I love the little extra kick from the lemon and cayenne pepper – feel free to use more for a bigger kick, or substitute with chilli powder.

Ingredients

  • 150g pumpkin seeds
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried coriander
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (option to add more for a bigger kick, or use chilli powder)
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/ 160°C convection
  • Mix all the ingredients together and lay them out on a baking tray
  • Bake the seeds for 30-40 minutes, mixing twice during the cooking time, till crispy and you can just hear them start to pop
  • Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container

Golden Pumpkin Risotto

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This is the perfect way to use up any pumpkin scraps you may have from Halloween carving! I’ve paired it with some carrot for an extra golden beta carotene boost, making the whole dish a gorgeous golden hue.

It is estimated that 14.5 million pumpkins will be wasted in the UK this year. Carving pumpkins are edible, from the skin to the flesh and even the seeds, so why not try to make use of some of the pumpkin scraps once you have carved your jack-o’-lantern. Reducing food waste helps reduce CO2 emissions, which in turn helps our planet.

It’s suitable for a gluten-free diet, just check you’re using suitable stock, or even for baby-led weaning if using a no-added salt stock (for very young babies you may need to blend/mash the rice). Optional to use homemade stock or some herbs and spices to make your own. If you want to make this dish vegan, substitute the butter for a little more oil, and the parmesan for some nutritional yeast.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 700ml stock
  • 100g pumpkin scraps such as inners or carving off-cuts
  • 100g carrots, roughly diced
  • 200g pumpkin, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 sprigs of sage, leaves removed
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 20g butter (use extra oil if making vegan)
  • 200g risotto rice
  • 150ml white wine (option to use extra stock)
  • 40g parmesan, grated

Method

  • Start by making the pumpkin stock by adding the pumpkin scraps, carrot and stock to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes till the pumpkin and carrots are cooked through. Blend till smooth and keep on a low heat.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection. Add the pumpkin cubes to a baking tray and mix with 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through. Add the sage leaves and bake for a further 5 minutes.
  • While the pumpkin is roasting, take a large pan and gently cook the onions in the remaining oil till soft and translucent.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the butter.
  • Add the rice and toast for 2-3 minutes till fragrant. Add the white wine and stir.
  • Slowly add the stock, stirring the risotto continuously. As the stock is absorbed add more. If you run out of stock use boiled water to allow the rice to cook through so it has a little bite in the centre.
  • Remove the risotto from the heat and add the parmesan and 1/2 the toasted sage leaves. Season with pepper to taste.
  • Serve with the roasted pumpkin and remaining sage leaves over the top.

Per serving: 417kcal/ 15.0g fat/ 5.9g saturated fat/ 52g carbohydrates/ 5.3g fibre/ 9.2g protein

Roasted Pumpkin and Cannellini Soup

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This easy soup also doubles up as an easy pasta sauce – win win! It’s naturally vegan if using a suitable stock powder, and if you use a no added salt stock cube it is suitable for babies and toddlers.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 600g pumpkin, skin on and cubed
  • 2 large onions, cut into 8ths
  • 2 sticks of celery, chopped
  • 1 tin of cannellini beans
  • 4 garlic cloves, skin left on
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 700ml no added salt stock
  • 100ml boiling water
  • 20g pumpkin seeds, finely chopped if serving to young babies

Method

  • Add the pumpkin, onion, celery, beans, garlic and olive oil to a large roasting tray.
  • Mix well before roasting in a preheated oven set to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection, stirring halfway through.
  • Once cooked, remove the garlic from its skin.
  • Bring the stock up to the boil and add the roasted vegetables, deglazing the roasting tin with 100ml boiling water.
  • Bring the mixture back up to a boil before blending till smooth.
  • Serve with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Option to serve as a pasta sauce by stirring through freshly cooked pasta. Delicious with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast which is a great source of B vitamins and zinc.

Serve as soup, pasta or baby-led weaning pasta finger food

Per serving of soup: 175kcal/ 8.5g fat/ 1.3g saturated fat/ 17.0g carbohydrates/ 6.0g fibre/ 4.8g protein