Stamford Hospital chef/dietitian Gavin Pritchard recently visited with Channel 12’s Gillian Neff at Fairgate Farm, where they discussed (and sampled!) some delicious recipes made from fresh pumpkin.
# of Servings: 8 Serving size: 1 slice
What you need!
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
½ cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
Cooking spray
What you do!
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray
2. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined
3. In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, and honey until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a large spoon until evenly combined
5. Pour the batter into the sprayed pan and gently smooth the top using a spoon or spatula. Tap the pan lightly on the counter top to allow the batter to settle
6. Place the pan on a center rack in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the top is browned and a wooden skewer or bread knife inserted in the middle comes out clean
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the counter for 15-minutes before taking out of the pan. Take the loaf out of the pan and allow to continue cooling on a rack until ready to slice and serve
Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
# of Servings: about 6-8 (varies with pumpkin size)
Serving size: ½ cup
What you need!
1 medium sized pumpkin
dash Fine ground sea salt (optional)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
What you do!
1. Carefully cut open the pumpkin by cutting a circle around the stem end and pulling off the top
2. Use a strong metal spoon to scrape the insides of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and strings.
3. Place the pumpkin seeds in a colander and run under water to separate the seeds from the other pumpkin mass
4. Spread pumpkins out on a strip of paper towels or a baking tray and allow to dry
5. Preheat the oven to 375F. In a medium bowl toss the dry pumpkin seeds with olive oil to coat. Add optional salt and toss to coat again.
6. Spread pumpkin seeds evenly out on a cookie sheet and place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake seeds for approximately 15-20 minutes or until desired brownness is reached.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before eating.
Chipotle-Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
# of Servings: 4
Serving size: ½ cup
What you need!
2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned (follow directions for basic roasted pumpkin seeds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon chipotle powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
What you do!
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the pumpkin seeds and sauté until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes
2. Add the honey, chipotle poser, and salt stir to coat the seeds
3. Remove the skillet from the stovetop and transfer to seeds with a spatula to a baking sheet
4. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, and cook until seeds are crisped but not burnt
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
# of Servings: 2
Serving size: 8-10 ounces
What you need!
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ ripe banana
¾ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup ice
What you do!
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Make sure all the ice is completely crushed
Cilantro-Pumpkin Seed Pesto
# of Servings: 6-8
Serving size: ¼ cup
What you need!
¾ cup pumpkin seeds (unsalted, hulled or shell removed)
2 each garlic cloves
¼ cup freshly grated cotija cheese or grated parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
What you do!
1. Place pumpkin seeds, garlic cloves, baby spinach, lime/lemon juice, salt, black pepper in a food processer and pulse until smooth
2. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until combined
3. Add cheese and pulse food processer to combine