Is it any wonder that girls traditionally gifted pumpkins to “rejected” suitors, believing this vegetable could ease the heartache of spurned admirers? After all, pumpkins are known to combat depression, anxiety, and insomnia, lower blood pressure, and strengthen the heart. Their vibrant flesh is packed with magnesium and B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, C, E, K, and T, along with plenty of calcium, carotene, plant protein, sugars, and pectins. This natural detoxifier is easily absorbed, improves digestion, flushes out excess fluids, and normalizes metabolism. Pumpkins are a staple in therapeutic diets, as this valuable vegetable helps prevent atherosclerosis and hypertension, enhances blood quality and vision, alleviates kidney and bladder inflammation, and aids in liver diseases and tuberculosis.
The culinary potential of pumpkin is showcased in a selection of original dishes and beverages—from soup to dessert.
Pumpkin Soup
When selecting ingredients, avoid bitter pumpkins and sour tomatoes. You will need pumpkin seeds and the flesh of one pumpkin.
Ingredients: for 600 g of baked pumpkin, use an equal amount of raw tomatoes, a couple of onions, 20 g of tomato paste, 50 g of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the pumpkin flesh into pieces, drizzle with oil, season with salt, and bake in foil for 20 minutes.
Blanch the tomatoes in hot water, then immediately plunge them into ice water to make peeling easier.
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the chopped onions until golden, add the diced tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Combine the baked pumpkin with the contents of the skillet, add the tomato paste, and if needed, pour in broth or water. Blend the vegetables until smooth, season, and serve with cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin Casserole with Cheese
This dish is both delicious and nutritious, as pumpkin contains four times more carotene than carrots.
Ingredients: for 500 g of pumpkin puree, use an equal amount of cheese, 3 eggs, 100 g of semolina, ½ cup of sugar, 10 g of vanilla sugar, and 50 g of butter.
Drizzle the chopped pumpkin flesh with melted butter and bake in foil for half an hour. Mash the baked pieces into a puree, add the remaining ingredients, and blend until creamy.
Bake for 20 minutes at 180 ºC and serve with berry jam or condensed milk.
Pumpkin Casserole with Cheese and Apples
For this treat, choose soft cheese and a tender pumpkin that isn’t bitter when raw.
Ingredients: for 500 g of pumpkin, use 5 medium apples, 250 g of cheese, 2 eggs, ½ lemon, ½ cup of semolina, 4 tablespoons of white breadcrumbs, ½ cup of sugar, 20 g of vanilla sugar, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
Puree the baked or boiled pumpkin pieces, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and the semolina. Mix and let sit for 20 minutes to allow the semolina to swell.
Remove the cores and skins from the apples, chop them, and sauté in a skillet with the juice of half a lemon until soft.
Add one egg, 3 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla sugar, and breadcrumbs to the pumpkin puree, mixing thoroughly. Add the second egg and a spoonful of sugar, and blend well.
Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish, smooth the top, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Layer the apples on top and sprinkle with cinnamon again. The final layer is cheese. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes at 180°C.
Serve the casserole warm or cold, drizzled with condensed milk or sour cream, and topped with chocolate shavings or nuts.
Pumpkin Pie
This pie is best complemented with spices, so stock up on fragrant seasonings.
Ingredients: for the filling, use 400 g of pumpkin, 200 g of onion, 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of coriander, ½ teaspoon of cloves, ½ teaspoon of allspice, salt and red pepper to taste; for the dough, use 1 ½ cups of flour, ½ cup of kefir, 50 g of butter, ½ tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Mix the salt and baking powder with the flour, add the butter, and rub everything into crumbs. Pour in the kefir, knead the dough, and let it rest for half an hour. While the dough “rests,” grate the pumpkin and mix all the filling ingredients.
Divide the dough into larger and smaller portions and roll them out into two circles: the larger one will be the bottom of the pie, so place it in a greased baking dish and spread the filling on top. Cover with the smaller circle of dough and pinch the edges. Brush the top with egg yolk, poke holes in it, and place it in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes at 180 °C.
Pumpkin Muffins with Nuts
Walnuts pair beautifully with pumpkin.
Ingredients: for ½ cup of chopped nuts, use 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 200 g of pumpkin, the same amount of sugar, 100 g of butter, 2 eggs, lemon, and a pinch of salt.
Grate the pumpkin flesh, separate the juice, and squeeze in the lemon juice. Grate the lemon zest and add it to the pumpkin. Cream the sugar with the butter, beat the eggs, and mix all the ingredients with the pumpkin.
Combine the flour with the baking powder and salt, pour in the pumpkin mixture, and knead the dough (it should not be too stiff). Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full with the batter, sprinkle with nuts, and bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C.
Pumpkin Latte
It turns out that pumpkin pairs wonderfully not only with cream, milk, and sugar but also with hot espresso. Nutritious and beneficial pumpkin puree adds energy and vitality to this unique coffee drink.
Ingredients: for one cup of strong coffee, use 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree, 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon of aromatic spices.
While brewing the coffee, mix the pumpkin puree with the milk and sugar, whisking and heating gently without bringing it to a boil. Remove from heat in time and add the spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla).
Pour in the coffee and whisk until frothy. Garnish the finished drink with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nuts (you can substitute nutmeg with cinnamon).
Pumpkin latte pairs perfectly with a warm blanket, a cozy chair, and a soft kitty. Let’s enjoy the delights of autumn!