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Tag Archive: Pumpkin

Healthy Pumpkin Lentil Soup

Written on September 21, 2015 by Wannabe Chef in Entree, Side Dish

This summer I spent very little time cooking and baking. For me Fall squashes and pumpkin spice make much more exciting recipes. When Stonyfield asked their Clean Plate Club bloggers to make a recipe using Bob’s Red Mill‘s lentils, I knew I wanted it to use pumpkin, too.

I eat beans pretty much every day and it’s almost always the kind from a can. As much as I’d prefer cooking my own, it can take a long time and yield way too much beans for one person. These red lentils were perfect because they only took 15 minutes and you don’t have to cook the whole bag all at once.

I liked this soup a little chunky so I didn’t blend up the lentils. For a thick and creamy soup, you could continue blending until smooth. If you want to turn it into more of a meal than a side add a cup and a half of cooked quinoa at the end.

Healthy Pumpkin Lentil Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 5-6 servings):

1 cup uncooked Bob’s Red Mill red lentils
2 cups vegetarian broth
1 can pumpkin purée
1/2 cup Stonyfield lowfat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Method:

Cook the Bob’s Red Mill red lentils according to directions on the package.
In a food processor or blender, combine the rest of the ingredients and blend until emulsified.
Add in the cooked lentils and pulse gently until fully mixed. For a smooth soup, continue blending until fully puréed.
Pour the soup into a large pot and heat on top of the stove.
Season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake

Written on October 8, 2014 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Baking is just more fun in the Fall and Winter. You get to stand near the oven to stay warm, make something delicious, and wear oversized sweaters to hide how much you’ve been eating. What’s not to love?

My favorite things to bake on the weekend is anything I can have for breakfast or take to work and eat with a cup of coffee. Put this next to a cup of coffee and a spoon of almond butter and you won’t be disappointed.

Pumpkin spice is just a mix of a bunch of other spices, so if you don’t have it on hand just use cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and/or cloves. This recipe doesn’t actually have any pumpkin in it but neither do pumpkin spice lattes and that’s never bothered anyone.

I really liked this more like a crumb cake with chopped pecans and raisins to add some texture, but it’d also be great without any mix-ins and covered with a cream cheese frosting.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 12 squares):

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans(optional)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together all of the sugar, flour, and baking soda.
Add in the milk, butter, eggs, extract, and spice and mix well until it forms a batter.
Mix in the chopped nuts if using.
Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan thoroughly.
Pour the batter into the baking tray.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is cooked through.
Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting.

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Pumpkin Spice Caramel Sauce

Written on September 24, 2014 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

We’re really spoiled at my office. We have a Keurig machine and 2 Nespressos with a built-in milk foamer; there’s no excuse to go to Starbucks ever.

That being said, there are certain drinks I always crave, like sweet lattes with rich caramel sauce swirls. Even if it’s not worth standing in line 20 minutes and shelling out $5, it’s certainly worth taking the time to make it at home for pennies and an infinite supply.

I’m not a pumpkin-spice fanatic, but I do love the earthy flavors in coffee, especially mixed with rich, buttery caramel. I tried Ina Garten’s caramel sauce last year, loved it, and vowed to make it again and again. This was the first time I made it since then(oops). It’s amazing that a little salt and spice changes the flavors completely. This could go in anything from coffee to oatmeal to even squash.

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Sauce

I don’t recommend using a candy thermometer for this because by the time you have it calibrated right the caramel will burn. It’s best to just watch it closely, use your judgement, and buy an extra set of ingredients because it’s the easiest thing in the world to mess up the first time(but worth giving it a second try!).

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Sauce(Adapted from this recipe)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 1 1/2 cups):

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Combine and mix the sugar and water in a medium-sized pot.
Bring the sugar water to a rolling boil and maintain. Once the water is boiling make sure not to touch it with a utensil.
While the water is boiling, mix the vanilla and cream in a cup.
Watch the sugar water carefully as it changes from white to a soft green to a hazelnut. When it turns a reddish-brown, remove quickly from the heat. Don’t let it get to a solid brown or the sugar is too burnt.
Off the heat pour in the cream and vanilla extract. Stand back as it sizzles and may splatter.
Once the caramel’s calmed, return it to the heat and start stirring as it’s just below boiling point. The caramel will have clumped and hardened.
Continue stirring until the clumps have dissolved into the cream and it’s an even color and consistency.
Remove from the heat and add in the spice and salt. Continue mixing as it cools to get the clumps of spice out.
Once cooled, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Written on June 14, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

I usually keep things very organized. I’m a serial to-do list maker and planner. But sometimes my pantry can get a little bit hectic; I’ll throw an ingredient in there and not see it for another 5 months.

When I moved 2 weeks ago I found 3 cans of pumpkin that never got baked into a pie, custard or pudding. I know it’s not at all the season for pumpkin desserts but there are some things I can’t turn down and a good slice of pumpkin bread is one of those.

My one warning with this recipe(and most gluten-free recipes for that matter) would be not to taste the batter. The batter will taste terrible because raw chickpea flour and coconut flour have weird tastes to them. However, once fully cooked, the funny flavor goes away and all you’ll be able to taste is spices and pumpkin.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
6 Tablespoons coconut flour
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
4 eggs
6 Tablespoons oil
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons brown sugar for topping

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl sift together the chickpea flour and coconut flour and set aside.
In a separate bowl beat together the remaining ingredients until well mixed.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and beat together. Slowly incorporate the water while beating until all of the ingredients are mixed together.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 8-inch loaf pan.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and shake it gently to level the top.
Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top of the batter in a thin layer.
Bake for 60 minutes or until the center of the loaf is baked through.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Written on December 17, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

This recipe has been a long time coming. I bought a can of pumpkin at the start of November and it’s been sitting in my pantry unused since then. Finally when I realized I didn’t have anything to cook for dinner one night I remembered I had the ingredients for these pancakes and whipped some up.

They were so good I made them again the next morning and took pictures. My only regret is that I didn’t have chocolate chips at the time to mix into the batter. Add some of those and you’d have perfection.

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice just add a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor these. You can also use almond extract in place of the vanilla extract for an interesting flavor.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons chickpea flour
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
~1/2 cup water

Method:

Heat a frying pan over a burner set to medium and grease it lightly.
In a large bowl whisk together the chickpea flour, egg, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and vanilla.
Slowly incorporate the water until the batter is somewhat runny and easy to pour. If the water doesn’t seem to be enough, slowly add more by the Tablespoon.
Pour about 3 Tablespoons of batter into the pan. Flip when the pancake is bubbly and the sides have set to cook the other side. Make sure to cook long enough so that it’s cooked through the center.
Move the cooked pancake to a serving plate and repeat until all the batter is used up.

Make sure to cook the center through even if it looks like they’re starting to burn a little on the outside. Nothing is less appealing than raw chickpea flour. The thinner the pancakes are the easier it is to get an evenly cooked consistency.

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Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

Written on October 22, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Last weekend I tried to make gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes; the result was a little disappointing and I’ll have to try again to come up with a recipe that isn’t. But what can never disappoint is frosting.

Although there texture was a little rough, the cupcakes still tasted fine so I went ahead and frosted and served them. Frosting can fix just about any cake disaster. Instead of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, pumpkin pie spice gives the perfect earthy flavor for Fall. You could easily pair this with a yellow or chocolate cupcake and it’d be just as good.

You can easily make this recipe non-dairy by using a dairy-free margarine and non-dairy milk. Don’t go too heavy-handed with the spice because the sugar really turns up the flavor.

Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes enough for about 10 cupcakes):

1 stick butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-3 teaspoons milk(optional)

Method:

Beat together the room temperature butter, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until the frosting has an even consistency.
If your frosting is on the thick side, add milk by the teaspoon until it’s at an easier consistency to work with.
Make sure to use the frosting within 2-4 hours of preparing.

Hopefully I’ll get the cupcakes right. Eventually. For now eating the frosting is just fine.

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Homemade Pumpkin Granola

Written on October 19, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

It was really only a matter of time before I combined pumpkin and granola, wasn’t it?

If you like granola and yogurt with a cup of tea on crisp Fall morning, this is definitely a recipe for you. Most of the flavor comes from the pumpkin spice rather than the actual pumpkin. Still it tastes(and smells!) delicious.

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, just use a mix of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg to get the same flavor. You can also add in an extra 1/2 cup of raisins or dried apple slices if you want to add a touch of sweetness.

Homemade Pumpkin Granola

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, maple syrup, pumpkin, oil, spice and salt thoroughly.
Lay the wet oats out on a non-stick baking surface in a thin layer.
Bake for 25 minutes, breaking up the oats around 10-15 minutes before taking them out of the oven.
Let the oats cool completely once they’re done.
Mix in the walnuts and store the granola in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

You can also feel free to add white chocolate chips and candy corn. I can say from experience that that’s a winning combination.

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Homemade Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Written on October 17, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

I used to be obsessed with Panera Bread and their cinnamon crunch bagels and fancy cream cheeses; it’s not nearly as much fun to go to when you can’t have gluten so it’s been a while. But this week I had extra cream cheese to use up and a hankering for gluten-free bagels and knew exactly what to make.

This cream cheese is simple and delicious. It has just the right amount of spice to make a plain bagel really taste special. I always catch myself licking the knife clean after I’m done spreading it on because it’s too good not to.

You don’t need to use particularly fancy ingredients for this recipe. If you don’t have maple syrup you can substitute honey or molasses. Use just as much sweetener as you prefer for the flavor.

Homemade Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 8 servings):

1/2 cup cream cheese
3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
~2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Method:

In a small bowl, beat together all of the ingredients until there are no lumps left.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks after making.

It almost makes you wonder how something so simple can be so good.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Written on October 5, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Pumpkin manages to find its way into everything this time of year. I haven’t quite figured out why it belongs in a latte; cookies make a lot more sense to me.

You really can’t go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice add a little bit of fun flavor and color and let you cut back on the butter while still making something delicious.

These are definitely cakey cookies. I find that most pumpkin cookie recipes turn out that way. If you don’t want to make them gluten-free, use cake or all-purpose flour so that they’ll still come out light and airy.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 14 cookies):

1 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour(I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
6 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a lined baking tray.
Sift together the gluten-free flour, sugar, spice, baking soda and salt.
Mix in the butter and pumpkin puree well.
Beat in the egg until the batter is evenly wet.
Add the chocolate chips and fold them in.
Taking the dough between your hands, roll it into 1 1/2-inch balls and place them on the baking tray about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bottoms begin to brown and the top is firm. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before moving them.

‘Tis the season for delicious treats. These would also be excellent with walnuts mixed in, too, or made into cookie sandwiches.

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Grain-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Written on September 21, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

A lot of people debate what the difference between a muffin and a cupcake is. Some say it depends on whether it’s frosted or not while for others it’s about the texture. For me it’s about nutrition. Is it healthy enough that you’d want to eat it for breakfast? Then it’s a muffin. If it’s a sugar and fat bomb even without frosting, you’re probably looking at a cupcake.

These muffins are dense, chewy, and hearty. The best way to eat one is warm with some peanut butter or cream cheese smeared inside. It’s not incredibly sweet but has a nice flavor from all of the pumpkin spices. It definitely passes the breakfast test.

If you don’t have 3 cups of almond flour, you can make your own by grinding 3 cups of almonds in a food processor like I did. Make sure to run it for a really long time to avoid getting larger pieces of almonds.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 10 muffins):

3 cups almond flour or meal
1 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
6 eggs
2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, pumpkin, vegetable oil, maple syrup, and eggs until there are no clumps left.
Mix in the tapioca starch, spice, salt and baking soda.
Pour the batter into lined muffin tins.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the oven off and let the muffins cool in there with the door slightly cracked open.
Store at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze them to make them last longer.

Don’t skimp on the pumpkin spice blend; that’s where all the delicious pumpkin muffin flavor is.

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