Fall is in the air and there is no better place to experience it, than here in Toronto.There are various shades of tinted amber, brilliant yellow and bright orange everywhere. I sit by my window and look out with a heart filled with gratitude as I admire nature’s canvas, painted ahead of me. The air is crisp and the falling leaves now bid adieu to summer.
And needless to say the colours resonate with “Pumpkin flavoured everything” I had stocked up on a few lovely field pumpkins that I came across at the fresh markets in our neighbourhood,with mental notes of umpteen recipes that leapt to my mind.
With Thanksgiving and Halloween around this time of the year, there seem to have Pumpkins galore everywhere. I have some wonderful memories of visiting pumpkin patches in New jersey and Toronto too, when my son was younger. The ones that I picked up recently were small in size and a bright orange in colour and the Pie Pumpkin variety. I quite enjoy cooking and baking with Pumpkin. This gourd takes a centre stage all through fall and into early winters and quite easily named as Autumn’s golden goodness.
My usual repertoire would consist of stews, soups, pumpkin roasted in salads, cakes and some dips as I experimented last week. Infact I was just discussing a post festivity detox with a friends when I tested out a few of these recipes. Here is a roundup of some terrific ways of cooking Pumpkin and the best part is that these work well with both sweet and savoury. There really is no need to just stop at Pumpkin pie when you can go ahead and make up some of these delicious treats with Pumpkins.
1.Pumpkin Hummus:
Ingredients:
- 1 small Field Pumpkin (cubed and roasted)
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Chick pea Hummus (You may follow my recipe: wp.me/p2eASG-l0)
- 1 pod garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon fresh root turmeric or dry turmeric powder
- dash of salt and pepper
- Pinch of Sumac
- 1 tablespoon feta cheese (crumbled)
- Handful of walnuts (roasted)
Directions:
- Roast the cubed pumpkin in a pie dish along with a tablespoon of olive oil at about 180C for about 25 minutes.
- Cool it and lightly mash the roasted pumpkin.
- Add the hummus, balance olive oil, minced garlic and root turmeric and mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with Sumac, crumbled feta and roasted walnut.
2. Roasted Pumpkin & Feta Salad:
Ingredients:
- 250 grams Pumpkin (peeled,cubed & roasted)
- 2-3 garlic pods
- 2 tbsp Olive oil (for roasting)
- 1 tsp Olive oil (for dressing)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: Handful of cranberries, feta cheese & roasted pumpkin seeds
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Lay the cubed pumpkin pieces & garlic in a single layer on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes and broil on hgh for 5 minutes.
- Mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and dijon mustard and add the salt and pepper.
- Drizzle over the roasted pumpkin
- Garnish with cranberries, feta cheese and roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Serve warm
3. Roasted Pumpkin Soup: (Serves 4 portions)
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium pumpkin
- 1 carrot, peeled and cubed
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 50 grams cooked white cannellini beans
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock, heated)
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place all vegetables, garlic and onion in a medium baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and roast till tender, about 30-40 minutes.
- In batches, blend roasted vegetables, chicken stock and pepper. Add some more stock as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Stir all batches of blended soup together in a bowl and serve immediately topped with a tablespoon of sour cream and freshly chopped parsley.
4. Pumpkin Spiced Cake:
Ingredients:
Pumpkin Spiced Cake
Pumpkin Spiced Cake
Cookingwithshy 
Beautiful Autumn. 🍁🍂🌾
Yes indeed…all though we have had our first snowfall as I posted this blog post today:))
Yes, ours arrived as well. ❄️
:))
These are great sounding recipes! I have a wheelbarrow full of sugar pumpkins that I cook and freeze for baking this winter.
That’s lovely…will look forward to some wonderful Pumpkin recipes on your blog:))
Great options, hard to choose which to make first. I think I’ll start with the cake, as I’m very fond of almond flour ones. 🙂
Great…Ronit pls do try it out and let me know how it turns out;))
You had me at pumpkin spice! Such a delicious combination of flavours; one of my favourites for the winter season!
Yes indeed…Thanks for stopping by Jessica
Your pictures are beautiful! We are pumpkin fans and are always on the lookout for new recipes! We will surely try the pumpkin hummus, although all recipes look so so good! 🙂
Thanks so much Nicoletta…Yes do try out the Pumpkin hummus,it does come out quite well:))
I will definitely be trying the pumpkin hummus, looks and sounds divine!
Yes Joss do it a try, it turns out quite delish indeed…thanks so much for stopping by…
Wonderful recipes and ideas, I love using pumpkin in cooking and baking, thanks!
Thanks so much for stopping by…yes indeed Pumpkin is such a versatile ingredient to cook and bake with;))
I love pumpkin because it’s so versatile ! Wow – these all look so delicious!
Thanks Terri…Love cooking and baking with Pumpkin too:))
Beautiful share!
Thanks Sumit!!