| Issue #31, October 27, 2006 |
Silvia Lehrer’s Cooking Column
DeeDee Stovel, cookbook author and colleague, has written a thoroughly versatile and delicious book titled Pumpkin, A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year, Storey Publishing. Here on the East End of Long Island we associate pumpkin, the beautifully shaped deep orange gourd, with the bounty of autumn and its sweet flesh for our Thanksgiving pie. In Pumpkin, Deedee informs us of the vast possibilities and virtues of pumpkin with its powerhouse of complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamin C, with huge amounts of vitamin A. “In some countries, pumpkin is a term used for all hard skinned squash,” DeeDee writes. She provides in-depth information on storing, preparing and cooking fresh pumpkin along with a variety of recipes for every category.
With the kids gearing up for Halloween it would be fun to join in, making Jack-o’-lantern cookies, pumpkin currant cookies and/or pumpkin-molasses snaps.
You don’t have to be a kid, dressed in a scary costume, going door to door collecting sweets at Halloween to get into the holiday spirit. The book includes a variety of pumpkin main courses such as crowd pleasing chicken-pumpkin tacos, grilled salmon with pepita crust, and pumpkin filled ravioli with sage – all classic and savory dishes. Spice cake with pumpkin and mascarpone icing made with canned unsweetened pumpkin sounds like a sure-fire bet for anytime of the year. Happy All Hallows’ Eve!
CHICKEN PUMPKIN TACOS
Makes 6 tacos
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
1 pound fresh pumpkin, seeds and fibers removed, peeled and diced, about 2 cups
1/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
1/2 cup canned tomatoes and juice
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Dash of hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
6 flour tortillas, 8 inches each or crisp taco corn shells
Toppings
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar or Monterey Jack
1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 1/2 cups salsa
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, or until wilted. Add the chicken and peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the fresh and canned pumpkin, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and salt. Cover and reduce the heat, and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork, and the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it and return to the pan. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and let the mixture sit while you heat the tacos.
2. On a griddle or large skillet, over medium heat, warm the tortillas for 1 minute on each side. Place one on each of 6 plates and divide the filling among them. Combine the yogurt and sour cream in a small bowl. Top each taco with the yogurt mix, cheese, avocado, lettuce and salsa. Fold in half and eat.
PUMPKIN CURRANT COOKIES
Makes 4 dozen
3/4 cups (1 1/2) sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dried currants
1 cup macadamia nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Beat the butter and sugar together with a whisk or electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and pumpkin and continue beating until smooth.
2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cloves into the bowl and beat at low speed. Stir in the currants and nuts. Drop the batter by tablespoons into the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Wet your fingers and flatten the cookies a bit. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. For best results, bake one cookie sheet at a time.
3. Cool each baking sheet on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the cookies from the sheet. Cool completely on wire racks and store in a cookie jar that is airtight.
SPICE CAKE WITH PUMPKIN AND
MASCARPONE ICING
Great to make ahead for Thanksgiving.
Makes 1 9x13-inch cake
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Frosting
6 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
1. Combine the sugars in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and slowly add the oil. Continue beating for several minutes, until fluffy, and then add the pumpkin.
2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the pumpkin batter. Beat at low speed and add the buttermilk. Continue beating until all the flour is thoroughly incorporated. Fold in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges pull away from the sides and lightly brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Meanwhile, for the frosting, mix the cheese and butter together in a bowl with a spoon. Add the pumpkin and gradually mix in the confectioner’s sugar. When the cake is cool, spread the frosting.
4. Cut the cake into 2-inch squares and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze up to one month.
(Recipes reprinted from Pumpkin, Storey Publ.)
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