Pumpkin Recipes

Amber Chow

After all the Hallows Eve festivities, it is easy to wake up to the realisation that you now have an abundance of pumpkin leftover. Though for many, pumpkin carving is a fun Halloween tradition, it could really be creating a nightmare for our environment. Each year, approximately 10 million pumpkins are grown in the UK; of those, 95% are used at Halloween and then almost immediately thrown away – creating 18,000 tonnes of food waste.

The question is: why aren’t we making the most of this uniquely autumnal produce? Instead of easily throwing them all away, you can kill two birds with one stone and make some delectable autumnal treats whilst avoiding food wastage! These are some recipes you can follow:

Maple Pumpkin and Oat Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Blend the oats in a blender to get oat flour.
2. Add your maple syrup, pureed pumpkin and eggs into a mixing bowl, mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Add the mixture to the oat flour.
4. Slowly add your milk, once incorporated, add the cinnamon.
5. Get a frying pan, grease it with oil and place on low heat.
6. Place dollops of the pancake mixture onto the pan and fry until little bubbles can be seen to appear.
7. Keep greasing the pan once it loses its oiliness.
8. Once pancakes are done, serve with a more maple syrup and toppings of choice!

Roasted pumpkin, quinoa, feta and rocket salad

Ingredients:

• ¼ a pumpkin
• ½ cup quinoa
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• 1 pack rocket
• A handful tender stem broccoli
• A handful pomegranates
• A handful pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Salt/pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey

Method:

1. Pre-heat and set the oven at 180?C and prepare an oven dish.
2. Place the pumpkin and broccoli onto the oven dish. Season with olive oil, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Then place the dish into the preheated oven and leave for 20mins to roast.
3. Whilst waiting for the two ingredients to be cooked, prepare your quinoa by boiling in a pot of hot water and cook for however long it says on the packet.
4. Place your rocket, quinoa, feta cheese, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds into a large bowl.
5. Once roasted vegetables are done, place into the salad bowl.
6. Finish by drizzling oil, lemon and honey and toss together.

Vegan Pumpkin and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 pumpkin
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
• Non-dairy milk as need (optional)
• Salt/pepper

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and gently fry the chopped onion for 5-10 minutes until it is soft and translucent.
2. Add the diced pumpkin/butternut squash and carrots and the crushed garlic and grated ginger. Cook for a couple more minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, chilli powder, cardamom and thyme and cook for another minute while stirring.
4. Add the vegetable stock and some salt and pepper. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the vegetables are soft.
5. Remove the thyme sprigs and blend the soup until it is totally smooth. I use a stick blender.
6. Add a little non-dairy milk or water as needed until the soup is the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Chocolate, Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

(For the loaf)

• 1 and 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup (120ml) oil
• 2/3 cup (120g) shards of dark chocolate

(For the frosting)

• 1 pack of cream cheese
• ¼ cup (30g) honey
• ¾ cup (180g) butter
• 1 cup (120g) icing sugar

Method:

(For the loaf)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C degrees. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with oil or butter. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt together until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin and oil. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together. Don’t worry as there will be a few lumps, be sure not to overmix. Gently fold in the chocolate shards.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes.
4. Check to see if the bread is done by inserting a toothpick in the centre; if it comes out clean then take out the oven. If the toothpick is still wet then leave and repeat this process every 5mins until the loaf is fully cooked.
5. Once the loaf has been taken out the oven, leave it aside and allow it to cool completely before icing it.

(For the frosting)

1. In a bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until combined.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar and continue to mixing scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
3. Mix in the honey.

Amber Chow

Featured image courtesy of Marius Ciocirlan via Unsplash. Image license found here. 

Image one courtesy of Kate Hliznitsova via Unsplash. Image license found here.

Image two courtesy of Tina Vanhove via Unsplash. Image license found here.

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