I love the colors of fall… Rusty, brick, brown, honey yellow, or maple red…. From place to place the last green leaf. I love the smells of fall: cinnamon, cardamom, anise, coriander, nutmeg…. I love its marvelous kindness…. Warm pastries… A cup of hot tea…
What better way to celebrate this wonderful time of year if not with flavorful and delicious pumpkin recipes?
Because we're in the peak of pumpkin season, I have put here for you 5 delicious pumpkin recipes. These are some of my and my family's favorite recipes. I hope you enjoy them too as well as the cooking process.
1. Pumpkin soup
I know that many people do not like pumpkin, but after trying this soup, you will change your opinion. It is also worth noting that pumpkin is very nourishing, so one serving of pumpkin soup will be enough to quickly satiate and satisfy your hunger for a few hours.
Ingredients: 500 gr. – pumpkin, 1 onion, 2 medium potatoes, 1 carrot, 2 garlic cloves, ½ l vegetable soup, 20 gr. – butter, 1 tablespoon of processed cheese; 1 tablespoon of cream (15-20%), ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, olive or sunflower oil, salt and black pepper. For decoration: Cream of 15-20% fat, pumpkin seeds or croutons with butter and garlic.
Preparation: Peel and dice the pumpkin and potatoes. Peel and dice the onion and carrots, fry for a few minutes in a pan with heated oil along with the basil and thyme. Add the diced pumpkin and potatoes, two cloves of garlic, season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave the ingredients on low heat for a few minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate each other, and pour in the vegetable soup. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer pumpkin and remaining ingredients along with remaining liquid to a blender, cover and whip until pureed. Add a spoonful of processed cheese and a spoonful of cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and blend for a few more seconds. Pour the soup into plates and add a little cream. Garnish with pumpkin seeds or croutons.
2. Pumpkin fries with parmesan and paprika
If you need to whip up a delicious and healthy dinner quickly, this recipe will definitely get you going.
This tasty baked pumpkin fries recipe can successfully replace traditional French fries. Pumpkin prepared in this way can also be offered to children. It's also a great snack for a family movie night.
Ingredients: 800 g pumpkin flesh, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried garlic, salt to taste, a small piece of parmesan, a few sprigs of parsley.
Preparation: Cut the pumpkin into strips and place in a bowl of water. Let the pumpkin hydrate for at least 30 minutes, then drain the water and wipe off the excess water with a paper towel.
Preheat the oven to 428°F.
Place the starch, oil, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic and salt over the sliced pumpkin. Mix well and spread the slices of pumpkin in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness). When you take them out of the oven sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and parsley on top.
3. Bruschetta with baked pumpkin and avocado
In pumpkin season, baked pumpkin is a frequent item in my kitchen. I bake it in the oven, let it cool completely and put it in a container under a lid. Then I use it in oatmeal for breakfast with honey, in salads, and now I have found a use for it in bruschetta. If you love this beautiful sunny vegetable, I recommend you try this bruschetta too. It's a great appetizer!
Ingredients for 2 servings: 100 g pumpkin, 1 avocado, 100 g cottage cheese, 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of natural yogurt, 4 slices of bread, salt to taste.
Preparation: Cut pumpkin into thin slices, place on a baking tray covered with parchment, spray with olive oil, salt and bake for 20 minutes. Mash the avocado pulp and cottage cheese in a blender together with yogurt, lemon juice (this is to prevent the avocado from turning black) and a pinch of salt. Dry the bread on a dry pan, spread the avocado mousse and top with pumpkin slices.
4. Baked pumpkin with chicken
Chicken goes well with pumpkin, and if you bake them together, it turns out very tasty and hearty, despite the fact that the recipe is quite simple. If you want to make the dish more complicated, add any vegetables to your taste or mushrooms.
Ingredients: pumpkin – 450 g, chicken filet – 250 g, butter – 20 g, garlic – 2 cloves, honey – 1 tsp. honey, lemon juice – 2 tbsp. lemon juice, dried parsley – 1 tsp. salt – to taste, ground black pepper – to taste, vegetable oil – for frying.
Preparation: Cut the washed and peeled pumpkin into cubes. Cut chicken filet into pieces as well. Mix the ingredients, salt and pepper. Then squeeze garlic and add it to the mixture. Also squeeze the juice of one lemon and pour it over the pumpkin and chicken, then pour honey over it. Leave the mixture to marinate for 20 minutes. After the specified time, heat up vegetable oil and fry the ingredients until the meat turns white.
Then they should be transferred to a baking tray and send the chicken with pumpkin to the oven, heated to 356° F. Bake for about half an hour. Meanwhile, melt butter, add chopped garlic and dried parsley to it. If desired, you can also use fresh herbs, depending on what you prefer. Pour the dressing over the baked pumpkin and chicken and serve.
5. Pumpkin stuffed with rice and dried fruits
I suggest you try this simple, but very tasty recipe for cooking pumpkin. I hope you will like it!
Ingredients: 1 small pumpkin, 3 tbsp. rice, 5 pcs. prunes, a handful of raisins, 3 tbsp. pumpkin pulp, 1 tsp. honey, 1 tbsp. butter, salt.
Preparation: Wash the pumpkin. Cut the lid off the pumpkin. With a knife, carefully peel the center part of the pumpkin from the seeds. Cut off some of the pulp and grate it on a fine grater. Stew for about 10-15 minutes on low heat with water added. Wash the prunes and raisins, pour boiling water over them and let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse the rice and boil until half-cooked in salted water. Rinse the cooked rice under cold water. Mix cooked rice, finely chopped prunes, and raisins. Add honey and stir. Stuff the pumpkin with the obtained stuffing. Put butter on top, cover the pumpkin with a lid and put it in an oven heated to 180 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Take the pumpkin out of the oven and enjoy!
Pumpkin is simply an autumn wonder from which you can prepare everything from soup to dessert. Properly prepared pumpkin dishes are always delicious and healthy.