Pumpkin/Squash Saag

I had a nice butternut squash sitting about and wanted to try something different. SO I whipped out one of my favourite cookbooks (the Veganomicon) to see what I could do with it. This recipe is originally for pumpkin, but seemed something that would work with the squash so I gave it a whirl. It takes a bit of time to bake the squash, so you can do it the day before, or just go read a book while it's baking like I did :)

~ 3Lb sugar pumpkin or butternut/acorn squash

2-3 t oil

1 large white onion diced up

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ t garam masala

¼ t cinnamon

½ t salt

1/8 t cayenne

1 c water (or veg stock)

1 inch cube ginger peeled and grated/minced up fine

10 oz spinach (~2 small bunches) washed and chopped coarsely

juice of ~1/2 lime (or more to taste)

First bake the squash-cut in half and scoop out seeds. Brush with oil and place skin side out on a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake at 350 for ~45 minutes until a fork easily pierces it. Take out, peel off skin and let cool a bit. Dice into 1 inch chunks.

Preheat a soup pot over medium heat and sauté the onions in oil for ~5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more until it starts to turn a honey brown color.stir in pumpkin and cook until warmed through again (2-3 min) and then add the spices and water to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. The pumpkin will mush up a bit and still have some chunks. Then add the spinach in 3 or 4 batches, stirring it well after each addition and let it wilt so it all fits in the pot. Cook for about 10 more minutes and then add the lime juice at the end. Adjust salt and pepper (and curry) if desired. This is even better the next day or if it sits a few minutes…

This is simple and delicious with a bit of bread or rice. If you have the time, give it a try. Nice subtle spices that taste yummy on a cold day and fill you right up.

Have a great day!

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Soup

I'd love to take credit for this one, but a friend emailed me a link from Chef In You to this recipe when I had a wierd urge to make something with peanut butter and pumpkin. This soup is simple, healthy and thick and DELICIOUS. It is now one of my favourite things...made some fresh cheese rolls to have with it and even J, who is Mr. Meh when it comes to soup, loved it. I doubled the recipe and had a few yummy easy lunches for later in the week.
I'm reposting the recipe in case the link goes away (it would be tragic):
1 c pumpkin puree
1 medium sweet potato
1/4 c peanut butter
1 T butter
~1-2 cups vegetable stock or water (to thicken to desired consistancy. I used 1 1/2)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Chop up the sweet potato roughly and steam until soft. Blend it into a puree. In a pan, melt the butter in low heat, then add potatoes, pumpkin and peanut butter. Add the stock/water and seasoning. Stir until it becomes smooth and well blended. Cook for about 10 minutes. Enjoy. :)

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

At Charlotte's request!!

These are one of my favourite muffins, adapted from my Mum's favourite muffin recipe that I've healthified a bit (swapped out 1/2c melted butter for 1/4c oil and 1/4c pumpkin). It's versatile: I've found you can swap out the pumpkin for banana and they're good too. You can add pumpkin seeds, diced apple or chocolate chips to these and it's all good, or add 1/2c applesauce instead of the pumpkin and then add peaches or diced apples with 1t of cinnamon for peach or apple oat muffins. Toss in chunks of cream cheese...add some grated carrots and raisins...or cut out the oats and add bran buds instead...OR (my husband's fave) cut the oats and add 1/2 c cornmeal and then add 1 c raspberries or blueberries...oh yes! (Note -If you cut out the oatmeal, also cut out 1/4 c milk). This recipe can be made awesome in every possible way - there a number of my muffin variations posted on this blog :)
One comment tho - don't bother to healthify them too much by cutting out all the oil and using applesauce or sour cream - I found that they aren't too dry but they just don't have that MMMMM...and then they MUST be eaten the day they're made or the texture goes all wierd and they don't keep...But enough of my babble. Here be the recipe:

In a large bowl mix:
1 1/4c milk (or buttermilk) & 1/2 c oatmeal: Place oatmeal and add 1/2 c of the milk to let the oats soak for a minute or two, then add the rest of the milk.

Stir in the rest and mix well:
3/4 c pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 c oil
1 t pumpkin pie spice (heaping)
1 t vanilla
2/3c brown sugar (or swap out with 1/2 c maple syrup - I'm too cheap to do it often...! )
1 T Molasses (optional - I like)

In another bowl mix:
2 c flour
1 heaping T baking powder
1/2 t salt

Add dry to wet mixture and mix until JUST mixed - don't over mix or they'll be megachewy. Bake with muffin papers at 375 for about 20 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick and try not to overbake.


Enjoy :)

Pumpkin scones, yo!

Made them.
They rock.
GO here to learn more - I am too lazy to repost...

Who named a pumpkin anyways? I'd like to know where it came from...

Pumpkin pancakes

On sunday I wanted some healthier pancakes. With fall comes my obsession with pumpkin and squash...so I hunted up a recipe for pumpkin pancakes at my favourite recipe site (allrecipes.com) and OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MAN they are delicious. Pictures? I was too busy making groany noises to remember to take them. There's a photo on the website...
The recipe makes a bunch (I probably could have halved it for just the 2 of us) so I have some tucked away in the freezer for lunches too. Squeee!
The recipe is here. All I did was replace the spices with plain old pumpkin pie spice (I had no ginger or allspice kicking around) and used 1 cup whole wheat flour with 1 cup white flour and they were VERY soft and fluffy, and healthier than my regular pancakes (only 2 T of oil) and seriously delicious. The batter is thick making nice thick fluffy cakes, which is the way I like them. Cook them on medium heat tho - the sugar in the pumpkin browns up quickly...and you get fluffier cakes that way too.

5 gold stars - They are on my list of fantastic breakfasts now.
Try some soon - you'll be glad you did!