Skillet Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked small pasta noodles
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup mashed or canned pumpkin
• 1/2 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Saute onion in a large skillet until tender.
2. Add pasta, water, pumpkin, sage, and nutmeg. Mix until well blended.
3. Bring mixture to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and mix in the ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
5. Let the mixture simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce has thickened, stirring frequently.
6. Serve and top with additional Parmesan cheese.

From Megan

Pumpkin and Feta Risotto

1 small pumpkin
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for roasting pumpking
1 c diced onion (about 1 medium onion)
1 c aborio rice
6-8 c broth (chicken or veggie)
1/2 c feta cheese
salt and pepper

1. Roast the pumpkin: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin into 2″ thick wedges. Toss with a healthy drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for up to 1 hour. You want the pumpkin to be cooked through and slightly caramelized around the edges, but still a little toothsome. You don’t want it to get mushy when you fold it into the risotto. Cut the roasted pumpkin into 1-2″ pieces and set aside.
2. In the meantime, heat stock to a simmer over medium flame. Reduce heat to lowest setting, keeping the broth hot but making sure it doesn’t cook off.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add rice, stirring to make sure that all of the grains get coated with oil, and cook until rice begins to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
4. Begin adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir constantly, waiting for each batch of broth to be about 3/4 absorbed before adding the next. (One way to tell if it’s time to add more broth: your spoon should leave a trail that holds for a moment as you drag it across the bottom of the pan.) Risotto is done when the rice is al dente—is should be cooked through but still have a tiny bite. You may not use all of the broth. In fact, towards the end of the cooking process—which should take about 18-20 minutes—start tasting along the way and adding broth in amounts less than a 1/2 cup. Add the pumpkin at the same time as the third or second to last batch of broth so that the flavors incorporate well.
6. Turn off heat. Stir in feta, salt and pepper. When serving, garnish with a little extra crumbled feta.

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

1/3 C pumpkin, canned
1/4 - 1/2 C milk
1/4 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t cloves (just use a 1/8 t measure and fill it half way, or do a pinch)
1/16 t nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
2 C vanilla ice cream
1-2 graham crackers

Pop everything but graham crackers in a blender. Start with 1/4 C milk and then slowly add more if needed to make the blender process it all. I used somewhere between 1/4-1/2 C.

Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast

• 2 slices bread
• 1/4 cup pumpkin
• 1 Tbsp cream cheese
• cinnamon
• ground ginger
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 egg
• splash milk

1. Mix pumpkin, cream cheese, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, pinch of salt, and brown sugar in bowl. (pumpkin mixture)
2. Beat egg with milk and another sprinkle of cinnamon.
3. Spread pumpkin mixture between the 2 slices of bread.
4. Dredge sandwich in egg mixture and cook in pan until egg is set/browned on both sides

For the topping, heat up 1/2 an apple with some cinnamon and then mixed it with 1/2 Tbsp of maple syrup and a couple of pecans.

Last year I had something silimar at Sprague's in Cuba, NY. It was So good but very rich!

Pumpkin Chili Recipe

Ingredients
1.5 pounds ground chuck
1 – 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
1 – 15 oz can light red kidney beans
2 – 14 oz cans pumpkin puree
2 – 28 oz cans crushed or diced tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to suite your tastes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried cilantro
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Method
1. Add ground beef, salt and pepper to a large soup pot. Brown meat. Add diced onion, diced green pepper and garlic. Cook until translucent.
2. Add dark and light red beans, pumpkin puree, tomatoes, beef broth, cumin, chili powder, dried cilantro and dried oregano. Stir well. Bring soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Adjust seasonings to taste. Simmer far at least 1 hour, stirring from the bottom every 10 – 15 minutes.

Crock Pot Method
1. Add ground beef, salt and pepper to a large soup pot. Brown meat. Add diced onion, diced green pepper and garlic. Cook until translucent.
2. Add ground beef and vegetables to crock-pot. Then add dark and light red beans, pumpkin puree, tomatoes, beef broth, cumin, chili powder, dried cilantro and dried oregano. Stir well. Turn to low for 6 - 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
1 teaspoon sea salt
Non-stick cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Separate the seeds from the pulp of the pumpkin until you have two cups. Rinse them under cold water until all of the pumpkin flesh is gone. Then spread them on a paper towel and pat them dry.
3. Spread the seeds on the cooking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 25 minutes, or until seeds are golden brown. At the halfway mark turn the seeds with a wooden spoon so that they brown evenly.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Whoopie Pies

For the Cakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup of unsalted butter, softened
¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup of pure solid pumpkin
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
4 ounces of unsalted bitter, softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of cardamom
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of milk

To Make the Cakes:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until they are mixed well. Add vanilla and pumpkin until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
4. Sift and stir into the pumpkin mixture until combined.
5. On a parchment lined baking sheet, drop two rounded tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture.
6. Bake for 11-13 minutes until cake bounces back to the touch.
7. Cool on baking sheets for 3 minutes and move to cooling rack to cool completely.

To Make the Frosting:
1. Beat together cream cheese, vanilla, and butter until mixed completely.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar until incorporated with cream cheese mixture.
3. Mix in cinnamon and cardamom and slowly add the milk until filling is light and fluffy.