The pumpkin, fall/winter squash and sweet potato recipe thread

[tiggerfan1]

Here's a healthier pumpkin bread recipe from cookinglight.com.


http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1673145

 

[tiggerfan1]

Here's a recipe for wild rice with butternut squash, leeks and corn.


http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-Rice-with-Butternut-Squash-Leeks-and-Corn-350425

 

[tiggerfan1]

You know, guys, I've been thinking. What's a recipe thread without some..........................................................

Food Pics!!!

​

The canned pumpkin has (finally) gone on sale and now I'm in pumpkin heaven! I've been craving pumpkin chocolate chip cookies ever since I first posted the recipe (on page 5), so that was the first thing that I made. I made a couple of changes, though. Since I didn't want to make such a large quantity of cookies, I halved the recipe. I used half the amount of butter that the recipe called for and added a scant 1/4 cup more pumpkin puree. I also used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. (The recipe says to use milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. I'm not sure why. The semi-sweet chips were just fine. ) Since I didn't have any ground cloves, I substituted 3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice for all the spices (and threw in a little extra cinnamon for good measure). Like I do with most cookie doughs, I chilled the dough overnight. It's good to do that with most cookie recipes, but I don't think that it makes much difference with this recipe. I just did it out of habit. When the cookies had baked for about 15 minutes, I took them out of the oven and flattened them a little with the back of a spatula. I returned them to the oven for about 5 minutes until they were lightly browned around the edges. These cookies are very soft and kind of cakey. If that sounds like your cup of tea, this is the recipe for you. If you don't like pumpkin and chocolate together, go ahead and use dried cranberries, nuts or whatever strikes your fancy. If you're planning to make these cookies, please fight the temptation to eat them while they're still warm. Let them cool completely! When I took a bite of one of the warm cookies, they tasted like baking soda! They were absolutely yum-alicious when they were completely cooled, though!


If you have a review and/or pictures of the food that you made from this recipe thread, feel free to share. I'm looking forward to trying more of these recipes. Be on the lookout for more food pics!

 

[tiggerfan1]

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Caramelized Onions (from healthycooking.suite101.com)


1 large butternut squash (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 medium-to-large yellow onions, sliced into rings
pinch of sugar
1 pound lasagna noodles (regular, no boil or refrigerated)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
2 cups 2% milk, heated in the microwave 1-2 minutes until warm, but not boiling
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded


-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel butternut squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss squash with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Spread out in an even layer on a half sheet pan or a Mario Batali pizza pan if you have one (the Batali pan is an excellent tool for roasting vegetables). Roast 35-45 minutes, turning once or twice, until butternut squash is browned and fork-tender. Remove from oven and turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.

-Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the pinch of sugar and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking onions until they become very soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

-If you're using regular lasagna noodles, prepare them according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse.

-In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Add the milk all at once, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let the sauce cook about 5 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.

-Transfer the butternut squash to a food processor. Add the ricotta cheese and nutmeg. Process until smooth.

-To assemble the lasagna, spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place about 1/4 cup of the white sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with enough lasagna noodles to cover (it doesn't matter if you have to cut the noodles to fit). Top with half of the caramelized onions, then half of the butternut squash mixture and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Top with another layer of sauce, then the noodles, the remaining caramelized onions, butternut squash mixture and the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Finish off with a layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce and the mozzarella cheese.

-Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Allow the lasagna to rest at least 20 minutes (30 minutes is even better) before serving.

Serves 10.


(I find it ironic that I found this recipe on a "healthy cooking" site. It is definitely NOT very low-fat. However, it is a vegetarian recipe, so that counts for something, right?)

 

[tiggerfan1]

Here's a recipe for vegan pumpkin cookies.


http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/10/pumpkin-cookies.html

 

[tiggerfan1]

Have you ever heard the old saying, "When life hands you kabochas, make some kabocha pie"? No? Me neither. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, a kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin. It looks like this.






If you're feeling adventurous and can get a hold of these pumpkins, try making a kabocha pie. Here's a recipe.


Mrs. Fumie Nakamichi's Fresh Pumpkin Pie and Flaky Crust (from The Honolulu Advertiser)


For the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Crisco shortening

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water


-Flour for dusting rolling surface

-Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Cut in shortening using a pastry cutter or two forks until lumps of shortening are the size of small peas and well-mixed with flour. Drizzle in 1/4 cup ice water, stirring to blend as you drizzle. The mixture should clump together in a loose ball; if it's too dry, drizzle in a little more ice water. Do not overmix and use only as much ice water as needed. Form into a disc and wrap dough in plastic wrap or foil and chill thoroughly; all day or overnight is best. Sprinkle work surface and top of dough with flour, and roll out.

-Place dough in ungreased Pyrex pie plate. Crimp edges. Do not prick the crust. Refrigerate while you make the filling or freeze, well-wrapped, for later use.


For the filling:

3 eggs

2 cups cooked, sieved kabocha

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup milk


-Separate eggs; strain egg whites into medium-size bowl to remove any white "strings," then add yolks. Add remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Filling should resemble thick cake batter; if it's too thick, add a little more milk.

-Pour the filling into the uncooked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes to an hour. Filling will puff up a bit. Pie is done when a knife inserted into the filling comes out clean.

Makes 8 servings.


For additional info about the kabocha pumpkin and instructions on how to cook it, click on the link below.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Nov/23/il/FP511230307.html

 

[tiggerfan1]

Here's a recipe for roasted delicata squash salad.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11155



FYI, a delicata squash looks like this:

 

[paintnolish]

Whoa! Getting fancy. You are out of control! I, unfortunatly, shouldn't bake anything. I am working on my pie and bread. A piece of each for the last few days!

 

[travelmel]

Have you ever heard the old saying, "When life hands you kabochas, make some kabocha pie"? No? Me neither. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, a kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin. It looks like this.

ROFL

 

[tiggerfan1]

Whoa! Getting fancy. You are out of control!

Um.....you're assuming that I was ever actually in control. Just kidding. I wanted to offer some fancy recipes to appease the food gods.

Hey, by the way, did you ever find that sweet potato souffle recipe?

ROFL

(Please refer to my post on your picture thread.)

 

[tiggerfan1]

I just had to post this. It is a VERY interesting recipe. It had good reviews, though!



Spaghetti Squash Pie (from allrecipes.com)


1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups cooked, shredded spaghetti squash
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 cups whipped cream for garnish (optional)


-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

-Beat the sugar and eggs together in a mixing bowl until light and frothy. Beat in the butter, lemon juice, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the spaghetti squash. Pour the mixture into the prebaked pie shell. If desired, dust the top with nutmeg and cinnamon.

-Bake the pie in preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

 

[tiggerfan1]

Here's a simple spaghetti squash recipe.


Spaghetti Squash with Garlic (from pbs.org/everydayfood)


2 spaghetti squash (2 pounds each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, slivered
Coarse salt and ground pepper


-Preheat oven to 400°. With a fork, prick squash in several places. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until soft to the touch, about 1 hour.

-When cool enough to handle, halve squash crosswise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Scrape flesh into strands.

-In a large skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add garlic; cook until fragrant and just starting to color, about 5 minutes. Add squash; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until squash is very hot, about 5 minutes.

 

[tiggerfan1]

Oven-Fried Sweet Potatoes (from seriouseats.com)



3 tablespoons high-oleic safflower oil or extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds sweet potatoes
Salt, to taste



-Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking trays with foil and coat each with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.

-Peel the sweet potatoes and use a very sharp knife to cut them first into thin slices (1/4 inch or less) and then into long batons at ¼-inch intervals. (These measures are all approximate of course.)

-Arrange the batons in single layers on the baking trays and place the trays in the oven. After 10 minutes, use togs to turn the sweet potatoes over and let them back another 5 to 10 minutes on the second side until fork tender. (Careful not to let them burn! This will depend on the thickness of the pieces, so you’ll need to watch them.)

-If you like softer “fries,” take them out of the oven now. If you prefer a crisper result, turn the oven down to 200°F and leave the trays in there for up to 20 minutes. (This will give the sweet potatoes a chance to dry out a little and acquire some texture. They will shrink somewhat in volume.) Remove the trays from the oven, salt the sweet potatoes lightly, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

 

[tiggerfan1]

Pumpkin Muffins (healthier version) (from cookinglight.com)


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
2/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped (such as Craisins)
Cooking spray


-Preheat oven to 375°.

-Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and next 5 ingredients (though cloves); stir well with a whisk.

-Combine granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Fold in cranberries.

-Place 12 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

 

[tiggerfan1]

​

 

[tiggerfan1]

Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes (I cut this out of a magazine, but I don't remember which one!)


2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes (or 1 40-ounce can sweet potatoes, drained)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 cup maple syrup (or pancake syrup)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flaked coconut (optional)
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Cooking spray


-Spray and 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a 3-quart saucepan, place sweet potatoes and add enough water to cover the potatoes; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes and cool slightly. Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Place them in the prepared dish.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in syrup, sugar and coconut. Over low heat, cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5minutes until blended. Sprinkle nuts over sweet potatoes, then top with syrup mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven, top with marshmallows and return the dish to the oven for 5 to 7 more minutes, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Makes 6-8 servings.

 

[tiggerfan1]

Pumpkin Pie Recipes



Here's a recipe that uses homemade pumpkin puree:

http://www.visionsofsugarplum.com/2007/10/pie-pumpkin-pumpkin-pie.html



Here's a recipe for mini pumpkin pies:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=28477

(If you don't want to use mini tart shells, you can also make these in paper-lined muffin tins (or use foil muffin cups--they work better) and place a small cookie in the bottom of the muffin tin before adding the filling. You could also use the gingersnap crust from the pumpkin cheesecake tart recipe on page 9.)



Here's a recipe for a no-bake pumpkin chiffon pie. That's right! No baking required!!

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32408



Here's the recipe for Ina Garten's Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pumpkin-banana-mousse-tart-recipe/index.html



A pie made from both canned pumpkin puree and canned yams:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/silky-smooth-pumpkin-pie/



For the person who got a can of sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Perfect-Pumpkin-Pie/Detail.aspx



This recipe features a cookie crust and has no canned milk of any kind.

http://www.visionsofsugarplum.com/2008/11/chewy-ginger-cookie-crusted-pumpkin-pie_17.html



For vegans:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6174.0



For the diabetic or the person who is trying to go low-carb:

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/pumpkinpie.htm



For the lactose-intolerant:

http://mykidsallergies.blogspot.com/2007/10/pumpkin-pie-recipe-dairy-free-nut-free.html (This recipe calls for rice milk, but I've seen similar recipes that use soy, almond and coconut milk.)



ETA: You can also find pumpkin pie recipes on page 2 and page 6.

 

[travelmel]

You are so funny!

 

[tiggerfan1]

You are so funny!

Awww, thanks. I hope it didn't seem like I was making fun of anyone with the different pumpkin pie recipes, though. Well, except for the sweetened condensed milk recipe. I put that one in because it happened to me once! I accidentally bought a can of sweetened condensed milk and didn't realize it until I got home. Fortunately, I had time to exchange it for evaporated milk. The canned pumpkin/canned yams (sweet potatoes) recipe reminds me of when I took a pumpkin pie to my Nana's house. When she tried a piece, she said, "Oooh! That's a good sweet potato pie!" When I told her that it was actually a pumpkin pie, she said, "Oh, no, honey. I know my sweet potato pie. This is a sweet potato pie!" I just smiled and nodded. If I had made the pumpkin/sweet potato pie, we both would have been right!

 

[paintnolish]

I can't find my original souffle recipe! My sister is hosting, so she said she'd make it. I am doing make ahead mashed potatoes, broccoli cheese casserole, and some kind of dessert. Anyway, I sent her Paula Deen's recipe. It's gotta' be good, right?