Prime Cuts

As I mentioned before one of my favorite things about autumn is the food. More specifically, it’s a time where I can fill my plate with root vegetables. Out of all of these vegetables, one not only means fall, but it  absolutely means holiday and family – and that vegetable is pumpkin. There have been a number of recipes on Prime Cuts over the past couple weeks that feature this incredible vegetable, but I wanted to give you my take.

Every season that the glistening Libby’s pumpkin cans* appear on shelves throughout stores, I get giddy and I’m inspired by the endless possibilities. I’ve had the good fortune of having pumpkin for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and even in cocktails.

When I heard reports of this year’s pumpkin shortage, I immediately stopped by my local grocer to pick up a flat of canned pumpkin, so I’d be well stocked throughout the season.

Versatile and nutritious, it is one of the few ingredients that to me feels both like a comfort food and healthy choice.

So if you haven’t made your trek to the store to stock up, get going! You don’t want to miss your chance to make incredibly delicious (and I mean DE-lish!) recipes like this one I pulled from VegSource.com:

Gnocchi in Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients

4 cups whole wheat gnocchi
1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Basil Cream:
1/4 cup raw cashews, presoaked in water for 12 hours
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper

Preparation

1. To make the basil cream, drain the soaked cashews. In a blender or food processor, blend cashews with 1/4 cup water, basil and pepper until the mixture has the consistency of a thick cream, meaning it should slowly drip off a spoon.
2. Boil the gnocchi until they float, then drain in a colander. Shock them with a quick spritz of cold water from your faucet.
3. To prepare the sauce, mix the pureed pumpkin with the almond milk, nutmeg and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the gnocchi. Simmer for another minute.
4. Assemble the dish by placing the gnocchi and sauce on the plates. Add dots or swirls of basil cream.

While the recipe takes awhile prepartion-wise, the resulting flavor is worth every second! Enjoy!

*Full disclosure, Libby’s Pumpkin is a Publicis Consultants | PR client, and is my agency of record.

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Photo by: eekim

Editor’s Note: Both Melissa and Justin Rasmussen wrote about their pumpkin pancake recipes this week.  While both recipes are similar, there are some differences.  I encourage you to try both recipes and then report back to us which one you liked better.  Think of it as the dueling pumpkin pancakes.

Last night, my family and I did one of our most favorite things in the world: we had breakfast … for DINNER. This isn’t an altogether unheard of practice, but it happens infrequently enough at my house that my kids think that something extra-special is happening and it’s always lots of fun.

Before we sat down to eat, we made sure that all of the finer details had been tended to: everyone wore their pajamas, we had our “morning music” playing in the background, grownups had big cups of rich coffee; the kids tall glasses of ice-cold milk.

On deck for this very special meal were thick slices of crisp bacon, fresh fruit and, the pièce de résistance: homemade pumpkin pancakes.

Have you ever made pancakes from scratch? Most folks turn to a mix whenever they’re making this tried-and-true breakfast treat, and it’s really quite a shame, as homemade pancakes are not only 100 times better, they’re also exceedingly easy to prepare. I assure you that a few minutes of extra effort will come back to you tenfold in better taste, not to mention in thanks from your family and friends.

Now, I mentioned that this breakf … err, DINNER, was extra-special. Accordingly, I couldn’t just prepare any ordinary pancakes. This called for something extraordinary.

Light, fluffy and indescribably delicious, these subtly spicy and sweet little discs of happiness will warm you inside and out. Let’s begin, shall we?

Perfectly Puffed Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup CAKE flour (it has less gluten and will result in a fluffier pancake)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt (make sure you use regular salt here; Kosher is too coarse)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 whole, large eggs
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 ounce melted butter (optional)
4 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
Butter, vegetable oil, or nonstick cooking spray

Preparation

Heat a griddle over a medium flame (about 375 degrees if you’re using an electric griddle).

Sift together dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add the pumpkin puree and half-and-half (or whole milk if you’ve taken that option); mix well. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks (this is easiest with a standing mixer, but a hand mixer, or even a wire whisk, assuming you’ve got the energy, will work great). Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, taking care not to over-mix (a few lumps are just fine). Add the melted butter if you’re using it. Fold in the egg whites (this’ll make the pancakes extra light and fluffy).

Add a small amount of butter, oil or cooking spray to your griddle. Scoop batter onto hot griddle; flip pancakes when they’re just starting to dry around the edges. Cook til golden brown.

Serve with warm syrup (maple if you’re a fan, some other if you’re not) or a simple sprinkling of cinnamon & sugar.

Whip up a batch this weekend. For breakfast OR for dinner. You’ll be glad you did.

Enjoy!

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Photo by: Rice and D

I have never really been a fan of pancakes, or really french toast. I know that sounds horrible but I think it has something to do with all the burnt, crispy discs I was served while camping every weekend growing up. That’s not to say that I don’t eat pancakes or french toast but it is definitely few and far between. I would rather have toast than pancakes most of the time. Yeah, I know it’s weird coming from a Danish family who is all about pancakes, even so much that they even make them into small round spheres called aebleskivers, for the pancake monsters on the go.

But when fall comes, there are good things coming to my table. As the leaves gently drift to the ground in their brittle, crunchy state there is one breakfast meal that I look forward to, pumpkin pancakes. My loving wife is a baker of sorts, she is always looking for recipes and how to change them and build on top of them to make them better and more tasty. The first time she made pumpkin pancakes, I knew she was the one for me. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit exaggerated, or a lot, but really, they are that good. These pancakes can bring people to the table, so make sure you make plenty.

So, while I was planning this post I had hoped to take some nice sexy food porn pictures of these glorious, pumpkiny, cakes of the pan but as quickly as they came off the pan they were being snatched away onto someones plate. I couldn’t get anyone to stop, to resist just one bite before I could snap even one photo. Then one bite turned into two and as I went to adjust the plate for the perfect picture animal instincts set in and there was no way I could touch their plate, so watch your fingers when you decide to make these because they unleash some pumpkin craziness.

My family and friends have an obsession with pumpkin, the moment October 31 peels off the calendar everyone is salivating for my wife to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, pumpkin anything. Beyond the picture it was a great feat to get the recipe away from wife, it was her concern that people would need to treat this recipe with the respect and the responsibility it deserves around pumpkin crazies. I assured her that my friends here are responsible and will act with caution around the pumpkin crazed animals they call their families and friends. So without further ado, here you go, enjoy. You’ve been warned.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice cinnamon, and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Slightly healthier version, substitute 1 cup of flour for whole wheat flour. This is my personal favorite, the pancakes come out a little more dense but the payoff is much higher, I think everything bonds better.

Enjoy!

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Mmmm … pumpkin. Is there anything that conjures stronger images of Fall-ish, childhood fun? Halloween, jack o’ lanterns, the homey smell of your mom’s pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving … these things are indelibly ingrained in our psyches. Their very thoughts can instantly transport us to cozy days spent with family and friends, sitting comfortably next to roaring fireplaces, basking in the warmth of their company.

For many people I’ve met, the only pumpkin they’ve ever eaten has been in pie. There’s nothing wrong with this, to be sure; good pumpkin pie is one of the best things in the world. But if you’ve only ever had pumpkin this way, you are really missing out. Pumpkin bread & muffins, warmed with butter, are among my favorite comfort foods. Pumpkin doughnuts (ohhh, yes) are scrumididdlyumptious. A favorite of my kids is homemade pumpkin pancakes (I promise to get to that very soon!). I’ve even had a wonderful pumpkin risotto served with toasted pecans. Incredibly versatile, pumpkin can be incorporated into a host of foods, whether they’re for breakfast, lunch or dinner. One of my favorite ways to serve it is in pasta.

My family are big-time pasta eaters, so I’m always trying out new ways of fixing it (tomato sauces start to get boring after a while). Trying to capture the flavors of Fall, I started to stir. To tweak, to spice. A little salt here, a little cinnamon there. Maybe a little cream? Sure! Why not? What I came up with was this, and it’s become a must-have staple in my house:

Rigatoni with Pumpkin & Italian Turkey Sausage

Ingredients

1 pound Rigatoni
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped fine (Vidalia or Maui onions are great for this!)
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon sage
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin puree (you know you have at least three cans in your pantry)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
Kosher salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Freshly-grated/shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling**, add a healthy dose of salt to the water and cook rigatoni until just before “al dente” (the pasta will cook a bit more once it’s added to the sauce), about 6 minutes.

**Did you know that adding salt to your pot before the water boils can damage your cookware? It can.

In a separate, deep saucepan, heat olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add chopped onion and saute until it’s translucent & a little bit caramelized. Add chopped garlic & saute until golden, being careful not to let it burn (burned garlic does not taste good … not even a little). Remove sausages from their casings and add meat to the onion & garlic mixture. Brown thoroughly. Add bay leaf, sage and wine and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by about half. Add chicken broth, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir until mixed well. Add heavy cream, Kosher salt & freshly-ground pepper (to taste) and stir to combine.

Add cooked pasta to the sauce, then toss to coat evenly. Serve piping hot with lots of freshly-grated Romano (just my preference — Parmesan is certainly a fine choice!) cheese and a glass of nice, dry white wine (this is complemented nicely by Riesling, but you choose your favorite!) and ENJOY!

Explore the wonderfully wide culinary world of pumpkin. It’s big, it’s bright, it’s orange … but most importantly, it’s DELICIOUS.

When she’s not minding her pumpkin patch (which is among the most sincere out there), Melissa DelGaudio is the principal at Honeybee Consulting, a full-service copywriting, marketing & public relations firm based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She can often be found Twitter, where she tries to carve out illuminating conversations. Be sure to pay her a visit!

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Are you looking for something new to make for dessert?  Do you love pumpkin?  How about an amazing cobbler?  Well, if you answered yes to those questions then we have the answer for you: pumpkin cobbler!  This is such an amazing dessert and so easy to make.  Total prep time is only 5 minutes and everyone will think that you slaved over it.

Ingredients

3-4 eggs beaten
1 c sugar
12 oz evaporated milk
30 oz canned pumpkin
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 lb yellow cake mix
1/2 c butter, melted

Optional: chopped almonds, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, salt, and milk.
• Grease a 9 x 13 pan (or similar size pan) and pour the entire mixture into pan.
• Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly across the top of the mixture.
• Pour the melted butter slowly and evenly across the entire mixture ensuring that it doesn’t start pooling in just one area.
• Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 60 minutes

Enjoy!

You can download a PDF version of this Pumpkin Cobbler Recipe.

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Photo by: Darwin Bell