Month: October 2015

Month: October 2015

Carving Halloween Pumpkins | Jack-O-Lanterns

 

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Pumpkin patches are bursting with rich orange pumpkins this time of year. Are you ready to carve yours for Halloween?! Here are some tips about selecting a pumpkin to carve, and also learn how to carve this Jack-O-Lantern face and use the right tools for it!

Picking a Pumpkin

Selecting and carving a pumpkin are two tasks that go hand and hand. You want to be sure you select a pumpkin that is ripe and will work well for carving.

Here are a few tips that will help you when it is time to select your Halloween pumpkins:

  • It is easier to select pumpkins based on the shape and if you know what kind of faces you would like your jack-o-lanterns to have.
  • You want to take into account when you are going to the local pumpkin patch or store to select your pumpkin. If you go too early and carve your pumpkin, it may not last until Halloween. But if you wait too long then the best pumpkins may be gone!
  • When you are looking at pumpkins you will want to pick one that is fairly smooth so it will be easier to carve.
  • In order to tell if a pumpkin is ripe, look at the stem. Don’t pick a pumpkin if the stem seems loose or looks like it is beginning to rot.
  • You will also want to avoid pumpkins with a white mildew or worm holes.
  • Finally knock on the pumpkin. A ripe pumpkin usually has a hollow sound to it.

Now that you have your Halloween pumpkin selected – learn how to carve a pumpkin and create a glowing jack-o-lantern in 5 simple steps:

How to Carve a Pumpkin

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1. Take a sharp knife and cut an opening at the top of the pumpkin. We used the Rada Cutlery Super Parer but the Stubby Butcher Knife would also work well. The opening needs to be large enough for your hand to fit.

2. Then remove the top and scrape off the seeds. (Click here for a roasted pumpkin seed recipe – a wonderful treat for the kids!)

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3. Now take a spoon to remove the seeds. We used the Rada Cutlery Ice Cream scoop to make this process as simple as possible.

How to Carve a Jack-O-Lantern

To add your pumpkin face, use a pen to outline your idea. Make sure the design is not too intricate or it can become difficult to carve.

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Now cut out your design. For our pumpkin we used the Super Parer and the Serrated Regular Paring Knife for the smaller areas. Add a candle or light if you want your pumpkin to glow.

Source

How To Roast A Pumpkin

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Ingredients:

1 small pie pumpkin

Instructions:

Choose a firm, small pie pumpkin, not more than 3-4 pounds; smaller pumpkins tend to be a bit sweeter
Rinse the pumpkin under warm water, removing any dirt or debris
Cut the pumpkin in half on a large cutting board, with a sharp knife
Scoop out the seeds with a metal spoon, I use an old measuring spoon that has a nice edge
Lay the pumpkin face side down in a large baking dish
Cover with ¼ inch water
Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes (depending on size) or until tender, using a fork to check
Remove from oven and scoop out insides, discarding skin
Store in refrigerator in a glass mason jar
Keeps for 5 days in refrigerator (at the ready for your pie, muffin and custard endeavors)

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If you are in a rush, cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and it will cook faster. The pumpkin in the picture above was rather large (for a pie pumpkin) and I cooked it for 1 ½ hours. This was far too long (I became distracted during the endeavor) as you can see the pumpkin is rather overdone. However, I think it will still be usable for various dishes.

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The above pumpkin preparation technique applies to any winter squash: butternut, buttercup, acorn, kabocha, hubbard, and more. I often substitute these squash in my recipes that call for pumpkin which works very well.

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Halloween Pumpkin Punch

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Ingredients: 

  • 750 ml bottle of spiced rum
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup spiced syrup
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 1/2 cups sparkling water
  • cinnamon sticks for garnish
  • dry ice
  • large pumpkin or punchbowl

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In a large bowl, add the spiced rum, orange juice, lemon juice, spiced syrup and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine. To make the spiced syrup, follow the directions in the cocktail recipe below for the demerara spiced cordial, however do not add the demerara rum.

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Once combined, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large pitcher and chill until ready to serve.


Meanwhile, place a large bowl into your hollowed pumpkin. Be sure your bowl is safe to handle dry ice. I used a metal bowl. Next, use tongs to fill the bottom of the bowl with dry ice, and cover with a slightly smaller bowl. This bowl will hold your punch. Again, make sure both bowls are safe for dry ice. Certain materials will shatter when exposed to dry ice.

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Now for the fun part. Carefully pour hot water into the bottom bowl so that it contacts the dry ice, thus activating the vapors.

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The length of time the smoky effect will last depends on how much dry ice you use, how hot the water is, and consequently how quickly the ice melts. To keep the effect going you will need to replenish the dry ice as it melts.

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Guests can ladle the punch into their glasses and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Remember to give it a stir as you serve, as the ingredients will naturally separate over time.

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WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN MUFFINS

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Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. pumpkin puree (one pie pumpkin)
  • 1.5 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp (60 grams) light sour cream
  • 1 small apple (about 6 oz), skinned and pureed
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • zest of 1/4 – 1/2 lemon
  • 3/4 cup white flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off of your pumpkin, then cut in half. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and strings from the center of each half (I recommend saving the seeds for roasting later). Cut your halves into wedges–I do three wedges per half. Place on a baking sheet face up and roast for 45 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork into the pumpkin flesh. Remove from the oven and let cool.

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While your pumpkin is cooling, peel your apple, cut it into small pieces, and heat covered in a sauce pan on medium heat, stirring occasionally. When your apple is mushy, remove from the heat and use a fork to smash it into a puree. Using a spoon or paring knife, scrape/cut the pumpkin flesh from its skin. Place the flesh into a food processor and puree.

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In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, sour cream, apple puree, brown sugar, white sugar, lemon zest, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until very smooth. Add in the whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and stir only until things are just mixed. It’s okay if there are a few lumps–don’t over mix!

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Pour batter into a 12-cup greased muffin tin (I used olive oil cooking spray). Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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Curried Ginger Pumpkin Soup

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Since I am usually cooking for 2-4 people(or two people with leftovers), I like to use small 2-5 pound pumpkins as soon as they show up at the farmers’ markets and produce stands. A pumpkin in this size range will make enough soup for 3-4 small servings from half and the other half can be roasted or steamed as a vegetable. This squash relative can do a whole lot more than just make delicious pies.

Pumpkins are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients providing plenty of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action inside the body. The fresh ginger root and fresh turmeric root boost that action up a couple of more notches. And don’t forget to save and roast the seeds for even more nutrition. What a great plant!

Soup doesn’t get much simpler than this. Six ingredients and less than 30 minutes from start to finish for a delicious whole food appetizer, side dish or main course. Adding a little tomato sauce makes a good variation on this recipe and makes for a more complex flavor. Add some fresh or dried chile pepper for a spicy version on a cold winter’s day.

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Cut the seeded and peeled pumpkin into 1″ cubes. For two servings, this recipe uses approximately 3/4 pound of pumpkin meat. Place the chunks into a pot with a tight fitting lid. Add just enough water to just cover the pumpkin.

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Add the minced fresh ginger and turmeric to the pot. Add enough water to just cover the pumpkin. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cover with the lid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the heat but do not drain.

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Put the pumpkin, ginger, turmeric and any remaining liquid into a food processor and run until smooth. Run the processor for 15 second intervals, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each run. Add one cup of grass fed milk, cream, coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk. Run the processor another 15 seconds. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Return to the pot and reheat if needed. Garnish with a spoon of grass fed sour cream or cashew cream if desired just before serving.

Ground ginger and ground turmeric can be easily substituted for the fresh roots in this recipe. Start with 1/2 teaspoon each and add more to taste. If you want to keep it really simple, just add a little more water instead of the milk or coconut milk.

 

Source: http://thinkeatbehealthy.com/2013/10/07/curried-ginger-pumpkin-soup-recipe/