All Things Pumpkin

I love pumpkin.

In addition to pumpkin pie, for Thanksgiving I make pumpkin biscuits and serve them with cranberry butter. I think Isabel lived on these for a couple of days.

Pumpkin Biscuits (Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe)
12 tbls unsalted butter
4 c flour
2 tbls baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
6 tbls brown sugar
pinch of ginger
2 c cooked pumpkin
1 ½ c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400. Melt butter in small bowl. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and ginger. Cut in butter. Make a well in the center, and add pumpkin with a fork. Stir in buttermilk till dough comes together. Dust dough with flour and knead 8 times. Pat dough out and cut biscuits. Brush tops with butter and bake until golden brown, 15 – 18 minutes.

Cranberry Butter (from Martha Stewart)
1c cranberry sauce
1 c butter

Blend in food processor until smooth

Last weekend we went to the University District farmers market (it’s open all year!) and Isabel just had to have a pumpkin. So I hunted up a few more pumpkin recipes and we’ve tried them over the last two days. 1 pumpkin goes a long way…

Pumpkin Risotto (adapted from a Sweet Potato Risotto recipe in Real Simple magazine)

2 T olive oil
½ c onion finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of uncooked, peeled pumpkin, cut into ¼ inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic
1 c rice (I used par-boiled brown rice that cook’s in 20-30 minutes)
2 c chicken broth
½ c grated Parmesan (I’m sure I used more than this)
5 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ t salt, and ¼ t pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the pumpkin and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the broth and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Measure 3 ½ c water. Add ¾ c at a time and cook, stirring occasionally and waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. It should take 25 – 30 minutes for all the water to be absorbed (It took me more water, probably because my rice was brown). Check that the rice is tender, if not add more water and cook longer. Stir in parmesan and sage.

Isabel and I loved this for dinner last night. Great comfort food. I will definitely make it again.

Toasted Pumpkin seeds

Handful or more of pumpkin seeds
1 T olive oil
Salt to taste

In a small non-stick skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds and toast stirring constantly. When the seeds puff and turn golden brown remove from heat. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

These were so satisfying to crunch and they hit that salty snack craving perfectly.

Pumpkin Blender Wheat Waffles (My friend Christina shared this recipe with me. She got it here.)
1 Cup Milk (3 T. Powdered Milk and 1 C. Water)
1 Cup + 2 Tbs Wheat Kernels, whole &; uncooked
2 Eggs (2 T. Powdered Eggs and 1/4 C. Water)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Pureed, Cooked Pumpkin
1-1/2 t. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Tbs. Sugar

Put milk and wheat kernels in blender. Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and honey or sugar to above batter. Blend on low. Pour batter into hot prepared waffle iron from the actual blender jar (only one thing to wash!)
For a yummy variation, put chopped pecans on the top of the batter in the waffle iron before closing.

There was a recipe with this for caramel syrup but we loved it with plain old maple syrup. This was so easy to make and they were some of the best waffles I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to make them again!

I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it sounds amazing and the reviews were great. I bet the candied pumpkin seeds alone will be worth it.

Warm Pumpkin Salad with Polenta and Candied Pumpkin Seeds