The second fall rolls around everyone starts posting all about their pumpkin food fixes. This year lets get crazy and go all out pumpkin with a twist! These four out-of-the-ordinary pumpkin recipes are sure to create a tasty four course meal to impress all your fall loving friends!
Round One! APPETIZER: Caramelized Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups whole pumpkin seeds, washed and dried 1/4 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt, or to taste 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. ginger
2 Tbsp. sugar
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine 3 Tbsp. sugar, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Set Aside. Place the pumpkin seeds on the baking sheet and spray them with cooking spray. Sprinkle them with salt to taste. Bake the seeds until lightly golden, about 20-25 minutes. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the toasted pumpkin seeds along with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Cook and stir the seeds until the sugar forms a coating on the seeds, about 2-3 minutes. Stir the coated seeds into the bowl of sugar-spice mix, toss to coat, and let cool.
Round Two! SOUP: Thai Pumpkin Soup
Round Three! MAIN COURSE: Dinner in a Pumpkin
1 medium sugar pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
4 cups tomato juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked white or brown rice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash pumpkin, cut off the top, and scrape out the seeds. (You can use these seeds for your appetizer!) Place beef or turkey in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain fat, add the onion and garlic; saute slightly. Add sugar Italian herbs, salt, pepper, tomato juice, and rice; mix thoroughly. Layer inside the pumpkin with 1/3 the cabbage, green beans and beef/ rice mixture. Repeat layers, replace lid and bake for two to three hours.
Round Four! DESSERT: Pumpkin Brownies
3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla; beat in the eggs one at a time with a spoon. Gradually add the flour mixture, and stir the batter until its evenly moistened. Divide the batter in half into two separate bowls. In one bowl of batter, blend the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In the second bowl, stir in the pumpkin puree, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Spread 1/2 of the chocolate batter into the bottoms of the baking pan, and follow with 1/2 of the pumpkin batter. Repeat layers and gently drag a knife through the layers in a swirling motion for a marbled effect. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick into the center of the pan comes out clean.
Ok, now I am STARVING and want to go and cook all of this! Let us know if you try out any of these yummy recipes and how they turned out!
