The election...
Hurricane Sandy...
Syria's cease-fire for the holidays...
and the conclusion of Pumpkin Week.
Sure, I could've gone with all traditional pumpkin recipes. Who doesn't love pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie? But I like to think that part of my job is to give you new things to love. Like pumpkin focaccia. Sounds weird- I know.
Pumpkin Walnut Focaccia with Gruyere
from Cooking Light October 2005
3/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 1/2 cups bread flour (plus 1/2 cup for kneading)
3 Tablespoons butter spread, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Cooking spray
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour and butter to yeast mixture; stir just until combined. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes.
- Add pumpkin, salt, and nutmeg to flour mixture; stir until well combined. Add 2 1/4 cups flour and half of cheese; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
- Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough in half; shape each half into an 8-inch circle. Place dough circles on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle remaining cheese and nuts evenly over dough circles; press lightly to adhere. Lightly coat dough circles with cooking spray; cover and let rise 20 minutes (dough will not double in size).
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Uncover dough; bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until loaves are browned on the bottom and cheese melts (shield loaves with foil to prevent overbrowning, if necessary). Cool on a wire rack.
Still with me? Ready for one more oddball pumpkin recipe?
Pumpkin Lasagna
10-11 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 jar marinara sauce (or butternut squash marinara if you go to Aldi)
1/3 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 large zucchini, cut into coins
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked pumpkin
So first things first. Yes, I want you to cook a pumpkin. I bought my pie pumpkin at Home Depot. Who knew? They're cute and small- the larger pumpkins meant for carving are bad for flavor, so stay away from a standard pumpkin. You have the option to swap out any other kind of squash.
To cook the pumpkin, cut off the top and scoop out the guts best as you can. Microwave for 8-10 minutes, until slightly softened. Cut in half and microwave a few more minutes, until tender. Peel and cut into cubes.
While you're microwaving your pumpkin, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles. You'll really only need 9 noodles, but I always end up with a few torn noodles, so I cook some extras just in case. Spray the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce on the bottom.
Drain cooked noodles and arrange 3 noodles in a row. I had to trim my noodles to make them fit nicely. Layer a few spoonfuls of sauce, then zucchini, then half the ricotta. Add another row of noodles. Layer some more sauce, then pumpkin, tomatoes, the rest of the ricotta, and the feta (which by the way is optional). Finish off with your last layer of noodles, the remainder of the sauce, and top with the shredded mozzarella.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbling. Let cool for 20 minutes.
Pumpkin spice lattes are for weenies. Pumpkin Week is for the adventurous. 'Til next year...
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