23 October 2015

5 Ways with Pumpkin!

• cinnamon,
• hummus,
• pumpkin pie,
• pumpkin soup,
• pumpkin spice mix,
• Recipes,
• risotto,
• smoothie

Halloween is drawing near and the nights are drawing in, but what do you do with the juicy flesh of your pumpkin once it is hollowed out for display?  We’ve gathered together 5 delicious recipes to tempt you into spicing up the humble pumpkin. Enjoy!

LITTLE SUNNY KITCHEN'S PUMPKIN HUMMUS

We love the delicious fresh recipes cooked up by Diana in her Little Sunny Kitchen blog.  Recently she has been celebrating the return of autumn by creating different recipes using pumpkin and she’s kindly let us share her Pumpkin Hummus recipe.  We think it will become a favourite!

Little Sunny Kitchen’s Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tahini
• lemon juice of half a lemon
• 3 cloves garlic

Method

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy!
2. Garnish with walnuts or pine nuts, and olive oil.

Do also check out Diana’s recipes for Spiced Pumpkin Rice Pudding and the very delicious looking Pumpkin Cauliflower Fritters

WEETONS ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SAGE & GOAT'S CHEESE SOUP

We have been supplying Weetons Food Hall in Harrogate for many years with spices and condiments. This year they have produced 10 new recipe cards to celebrate their 10^th birthday and we think this soup sounds delicious!  Try using different varieties of squashes or pumpkins to vary the final result.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded (roughly 1kg weight)
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 8 sage leaves, chopped
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 onion, finely diced
• 1 leek, green tops removed and finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 mild red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 100g goat’s cheese
• 100ml double cream
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Juice 1/2 lime

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the butternut squash into large chunks and toss with half the olive oil and honey in a roasting tray and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and soft.
2. In a large saucepan melt the butter with the remaining olive oil and sweat off the onions, garlic, carrot, leek, herbs and chili over a low heat until soft and the onions are transparent.
3. Add the roasted squash and stock to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. Remove from the heat and process the soup through a liquidizer in batches for a really silky finish. Return to the pan and season to taste with the lime juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Gently heat the cream in a small sauce pan until nearly boiling, remove from the heat and crumble the goat’s cheese into pan and whisk until smooth.
5. Serve the soup with some of the goats cheese cream drizzled over and a sprinkling of the sliced spring onions and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.

STEENBERGS PUMPKIN PIE

Pumpkin season wouldn’t be the same without a recipe for Pumpkin Pie.  Here we have used our own blend of Pumpkin Pie Mix, a delicious organic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & cloves that gives the perfect flavour to the traditional pumpkin pie.

Steenbergs Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 375g/ 13oz shortcrust pastry
• 3 medium free range eggs
• 425g/ 15oz puréed pumpkin (either canned or homemade – see below for making your own)
• 195g/ 6½oz Fairtrade golden brown caster sugar
• ¼tsp sea salt
• 3tsp Steenbergs organic Pumpkin Pie spices
• 335ml/ 11½ fl oz evaporated milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200^oC/ 400^oF.
2. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 23cm round pie dish, to about 3mm thick.  Blind bake the pastry case for about 10 minutes.
3. Now mix up the filling.  Whisk the eggs lightly in a bowl.  Add the Fairtrade caster sugar, sea salt, Steenbergs Pumpkin Pie Spices, pumpkin purée and then evapourated milk.  Give it a good whisk after each ingredient to ensure that it has been mixed through thoroughly.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 170^oC/ 340^oF.  Take the part-baked pastry from the oven and pour in the filling.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the filling has just set; if you insert a skewer into the centre of the pie filling, it should come out clean.
5. Allow to cool completely, then serve with cream.
6. If you’re feeling indulgent, how about adding a smidgeon of Jack Daniels to the pie (about 2tbsp).

How to make your own pumpkin purée:

1. Chop up the pumpkin, removing all seeds and internal fibres and the skin and dice it into 3cm squares.  Boil with water for about 10 minutes.  Drain then process in your food processor until smooth; or
2. Chop up the pumpkin, removing all seeds and internal fibres, then place onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 180^oC; now scrape out the cooked flesh and process until smooth.

WHOLE FOOD MARKET PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE

A longstanding stockist of Steenbergs spices and home baking ingredients, Whole Foods Market in London is great at creating new recipes to showcase their products.  Here’s a deliciously creamy, dairy free smoothie they created using Steenbergs Pumpkin Pie Mix.

Whole Foods Market Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1 cup unsweetened soymilk or coconut milk beverage
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 5 ice cubes

Method

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and serve.

STEENBERGS PUMPKIN, GINGER & SAGE RISOTTO

Finally a homely, savoury Steenbergs family risotto recipe which is perfect for cosy nights in.  You can use fresh pumpkin purée as detailed above or, to make this at any time of year, our jars of pumpkin puree work a treat!

Steenbergs Pumpkin, Ginger & Sage Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• Handful of fresh sage, chopped
• 400g arborio rice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 jar (500g) pumpkin puree
• 500ml hot stock, made using Steenbergs vegetable bouillon
• Steenbergs 3-colour pepper, crushed and more to taste
• Steenbergs traditional sea salt
• 1/2 red chilli, (according to taste) chopped finely
• knob of ginger (according to taste) chopped finely

Method

1. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan. Add onion, leek, garlic, sage, chilli and ginger
2. Add rice and cook for 3-5 minutes, stir to allow rice to be coated in oil and glazed
3. Heat the stock and puree together in a saucepan. Add a ladel of hot stock and puree to the rice. Allow liquid to be absorbed before adding another ladel. Repeat until all stock used and rice in slightly tender but still has a little bite!