Pumpkins aren't just for carving

If you’ve got a pumpkin glut or you’re feeling guilty about throwing away the juicy bits from your Halloween carving projects, try these tasty recipes for curried pumpkin soup, spiced pumpkin swirls or smoky roasted seeds. If you didn’t go down the pumpkin path this year, all these recipes will work just as well with butternut squash.

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Purée

This is the base for the soup and the cinnamon swirls below. You can omit the honey if you prefer, but a sparing little glaze makes the pumpkin especially flavoursome. If you’ve already scooped out the flesh to carve your pumpkin, then the roasting time may be shorter so keep an eye on it in the oven and take it out when it yields easily to a fork.

Ingredients

·        A pumpkin

·        Runny Honey

Method

·        Cut pumpkin into large chunks

·        Scoop out the seeds and “stringy stuff”

·        Drizzle flesh with a little honey

·        Lay the pumpkin pieces on a non-stick or parchment-lined tray

·        Bake at 180c for 45 to 60 minutes, or until soft.

·        Cool the pumpkin and scoop out the flesh from the skin

·        Purée in a blender or food processor, or simply mash until smooth

This will keep in a container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

A warming, mildly spiced soup that’s gorgeously orange and totally delicious. We serve ours with homemade wholemeal bread for a hearty tea-time meal.

Ingredients

·        1 tbsp unsalted butter or vegetable oil

·        1 whole onion, diced

·        2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

·        2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated

·        1½ tsp curry powder

·        ¾ tsp ground cumin

·        ½ tsp ground coriander

·        Small pinch of cinnamon

·        950ml chicken or vegetable stock

·        800g pumpkin purée (see above for recipe)

·        3 tbsp double cream (optional)

·        Salt and pepper (optional)

Method

·        Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and sauté the onion until soft

·        Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for a further two minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

·        Pour in the stock and pumpkin purée

·        Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

·        Remove from the heat and purée the soup with a stick blender.

·        Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a scattering of roasted pumpkin seeds. Remember salt is not recommended for younger children.

Spiced Pumpkin Swirls

These are quick, simple and great to make with your little chefs at home.

Ingredients

·        1 pack ready rolled puff pastry

·        500g pumpkin purée

·        1 tsp mixed spice

·        2 tbsp caster sugar (optional)

Method

·        Gently lay the ready rolled pastry out on a clean surface.

·        Spread the pumpkin purée evenly across the pastry. You can use the back of a spoon or even a pair of clean little hands.

·        Sprinkle the mixed spice as evenly as possible over the pumpkin

·        Sprinkle on the sugar. The purée is a little sweet already so adjust the sugar to your taste or leave it out altogether.

·        From the long edge, roll the pastry into a sausage shape.

·        Carefully cut into slices using a sharp knife.

·        Lay the swirls flat on a non-stick or parchment-lined baking tray with a little space between them to allow them to puff up as they cook.

·        Bake at 180c for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

·        Allow to cool and dust with a tiny bit of icing sugar if you’re feeling fancy.

Smoky Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

A nutritious snack, a stylish garnish for soup or a crunchy addition to salads.

Ingredients

Quantities will vary depending on the amount of seeds you gather from your pumpkin

·        Pumpkin seeds

·        Olive oil

·        Smoked paprika

Method

·        Boil the seeds in water for 10 minutes. You can salt the water first but remember young children should limit their salt intake.

·        Drain the seeds, pour them into a bowl and coat them well with a glug of olive oil.

·        Spread evenly over a non-stick or parchment-lined baking tray.

·        Bake at 200c for 10-15 minutes until they begin to brown. Check on them during cooking because the timing will depend on the size of the seeds.

·        Remove from the oven and sprinkle with smoked paprika.

·        Let the seeds completely cool before eating.

These recipes were created, styled and photographed by George, our chef at Snapdragons Horfield. He’d love to see how you get on making them, so why not send us a photo of you and your finished dishes on social media using #snapdragonsnurserykitchen