What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin

I'm willing to bet that immediately after Thanksgiving, Google sees the number of searches for "leftover turkey" skyrocket. A comparable search for vegetarians would have to be "leftover pumpkin," though having half or two-thirds a can of leftover pumpkin after the holidays is certainly not a strictly vegetarian problem. Many recipes call for just a half or a whole cup of pureed pumpkin, but the standard can contains about 1 1/3 cups. I hate to think of all the pumpkin that goes into a storage container, then into the refrigerator, and finally into the garbage after a few days. It's needless waste since there's plenty you can do with that pumpkin once everyone's finished devouring your pumpkin cheesecake. Using Veg Blog Search, I've tracked down a wealth of recipes that use less than a can of pumpkin. So before that leftover pumpkin starts to grow a green coat, get up and put it to one of these good uses:

Bake it! Try pumpkin bread, biscuits, cookies, or scones. If you don't have quite enough pumpkin leftover, don't open another can; just top off what you have with some applesauce or mashed sweet potato.

Stir a few spoonfuls into a bowl of oatmeal. Add some pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) and maybe a few raisins, and you've got a breakfast that will brighten up your day.

Indulge in pumpkin waffles or pancakes. This recipe is good for either one, but you can also add a couple of tablespoons of pumpkin to your favorite recipe.

Make ice cream. Or how about pumpkin pie wontons?

Get very ambitious and make pumpkin pasta or pretzels or gnocchi. I'm thinking that pumpkin sausage looks like a winner.

Make soup. Check out Toor Dal Pumpkin Soup, Hearty Pumpkin Soup, and Mexican Pumpkin Soup. Or just add it to your favorite vegetable soup recipe for an instantly thick and flavorful broth.

Drink it! Try a nog or a smoothie.

Don't feel like eating it? Treat yourself to homemade pumpkin body butter or a pumpkin facial (veganized, of course).

Finally, if you're just plain sick of pumpkin, you can always freeze your leftovers until inspiration strikes.

What's your favorite use for leftover pumpkin?

Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales

My Thanksgiving menu planning will always be an exercise in fantasy because we celebrate the holiday at my in-laws', but if I were serving Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year, my menu would include Green Bean Casserole, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, cornbread dressing, Cranberry Relish, Sweet Potato Casserole, Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake, and these Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales.

Since I don't get to cook much for the actual holiday (and only those items that will travel well) I spend the weeks before the big day doing Fantasy Holiday Meals—not the whole meal, mind you (you know how lazy I am), but a dessert here, a side dish there, as part of a regular meal. It keeps me in practice for holiday cooking and, let's face it, gives me something relevant to post here for anyone looking for holiday meal ideas. So last night I attempted my fantasy main course. I wanted something savory and elegant, something special enough to be the focal point of a meal but still light enough to allow room for all the other dishes. These timbales, if I say so myself, achieved all of those goals and more.

They're ridiculously delicious, if not ridiculously easy. The texture is like mushroom pate, with wild rice providing just a touch of chewiness. All the savory flavors that I associate with Thanksgiving are here: the earthiness of mushrooms and lentils, the warm herbal flavors of sage and thyme, a hint of pungency from the rosemary. The idea for this recipe came from Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian, though I changed her recipe so much that she might not want to claim it. First I veganized it (the original contained eggs), and then I completely changed the seasonings. Finally, I tried to simplify it a little, but let's face it, unless you happen to have cooked lentils and wild rice on-hand (who does?), this recipe will probably take you a couple of hours and leave your kitchen in as bad a shape as it did mine. But let me tell you, it's worth it!



Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales
(printer-friendly version)

These timbales also make a delicious appetizer spread on crackers.

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large slices bread (may be gluten-free)
2 cups mushrooms, quartered (about 10 large)
1/2 cup silken tofu (light, firm or extra-firm Mori-Nu, preferred)
3 cloves garlic, quartered
1 tablespoon sherry
2 tablespoons water
1 cup lentils, cooked
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
3 tablespoons cornstarch, or arrowroot
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup wild rice, cooked
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sliced mushrooms for garnish (optional)

Make ahead: 1 cup cooked lentils (from about 1/2 cup dried) and 1 cup wild rice (about 1/2 cup before cooking)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 6 ramekins with canola oil or cooking spray and have ready a large baking pan that will hold them (9x13-inch should work). Place one nice-looking mushroom slice in the bottom of each ramekin, if desired.

Saute the onion in a non-stick pan until it begins to brown. Set aside.

Place the bread in a food processor and pulse until it turns to crumbs. Add the mushrooms, tofu, garlic, sherry, and water and blend until fairly smooth. Add the lentils and process again until smooth. Add the tomato paste, herbs, cornstarch, and salt and process until well-blended. Add the onions to the processor and pulse to include them but do not over-process (you want them to retain some texture.)

Scrape the contents of the food processor into a bowl and add the cooked wild rice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Divide the mixture among the oiled ramekins and smooth the tops with a spoon. Set the ramekins in the large baking dish and add hot water to the dish, taking care not to splash it into the ramekins.

Bake, uncovered, until tops are brown and crusty and middles seem moderately firm when pressed with a finger--about 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges and invert the ramekins onto serving plates. Serve with your favorite mushroom gravy (or see mine below).

Note: If you plan to serve these later, keep the timbales in the ramekins, covered, and reheat in their water bath for about 10 minutes. Or (it's heresy to say this, but) microwave each one for about a minute before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 131 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (5% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 442mg Sodium; 4g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 2 Points.


Impromptu Mushroom Gravy
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My mushroom gravy is always an ad lib affair; I don't think I ever make it the same way twice. Here's the basic recipe, but the amounts of herbs should be adjusted as necessary. This time I kept them light so that they didn't compete with the timbales' seasoning.

1/2 onion, minced
10 mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sherry (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons unbleached flour (substitute with arrowroot for gluten-free)
1/4 cup plain soymilk
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium-sized non-stick saucepan, saute the onion until light brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of water, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for another minute.

Add the vegetable broth, herbs, nutritional yeast, sherry, and soy sauce. In a bowl, whisk or blend (with a hand blender) the soymilk and flour together until smooth. Add it to the saucepan and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 31 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 177mg Sodium; 1g Fiber. Weight Watchers: Core / 0 Points.

Sweet Dumpling Squash Stuffed with Lemon-Herb Rice

One of my favorite ways to cook winter squash is to roast it simply with lemon, salt, and pepper. So when I brought home these beautiful sweet dumpling squash and started thinking about how to use them, my first impulse was toward the simple lemon treatment. But these little cuties are just the perfect size for stuffing, and it would have been a shame not to take advantage of that. I decided to combine the two impulses and stuff them with a old favorite—lemon-herb rice.

The absence of a high-protein ingredient makes these stuffed squash a side rather than a main dish, perfect for serving alongside tofu or seitan. But if you'd like to make them the centerpiece of a meal, try sautéing cubes of lemon-marinated tempeh along with the onion and increase the amount of soy sauce and herbs a little. If you're preparing them for your holiday meal, they can be made ahead of time: After you fill the cooked squash with the rice mixture, cover them tightly and refrigerate. Put them into the oven about a half hour before serving.



Sweet Dumpling Squash Stuffed with Lemon-Herb Rice
(printer-friendly version)

If you want to make the rice look more lemony, add a little turmeric with the lemon juice.

3 Sweet Dumpling or other small winter squash
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup water
juice of 1/2 large lemon (such as Meyer)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 cup minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh, minced)
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds and strings. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place face-down on an oiled baking sheet (I used a silicone sheet liner). Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender. (Different types of squash will take different lengths of time. Test by piercing with a fork in thickest areas.) Remove from oven but keep oven turned on.

While the squash are cooking, prepare the lemon-herbed rice. Spray a non-stick pan with olive oil, heat, and sauté the onion until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the rice, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice and zest, soy sauce, and herbs. Stir well, cover, and cook on low heat just until warm. Add the toasted pine nuts and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Stuff the rice into the cavities of the squash. Place them upright in a baking dish and drizzle about a teaspoon of water over each. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until hot throughout. Serve warm, garnished with additional fresh herbs, if desired.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 161 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (13% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 177mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: Core / 3 Points.

Apple-Pumpkin Delight

What if you love pie but don't like crust? Strange as it sounds to me, I have a daughter who doesn't like crust--on bread, on pizza, or on pie. Her aversion is not a big deal because she can always eat around it, but since I have my own reasons for avoiding pie crust, I like to make desserts that taste like pie but don't have a crust...at least not a traditional crust. So here's a dessert that makes use of the apples and winter squash that are in season now and tastes like a crustless apple pie.

Every year at this time, I go kind of crazy buying lots of different types of pumpkins and squash, often more than I can actually use. I just like winter squash. Here's a shot of E posing with a portion of this year's bounty:

The pumpkin she's snuggling up to is the one I used for this recipe. Actually, it's a 10+ pound cushaw, rather than a pumpkin, and though it's milder and sweeter in taste, the main difference between it and your traditional orange pumpkin is that it is much easier to peel because it's smooth rather than ridged. You probably won't be able to find cushaws outside of the South, but if you do, be sure to grab one, or if you're into gardening, think about buying some cushaw seeds online and growing some in your area. It's a shame that they're available almost exclusively in roadside stands and private gardens in the South.

Since this cushaw was so huge, I used only half of the neck section for this dessert. I have a feeling I'm in for a pumpkin butter-making session later this week. Don't tell my extended family, but they will probably be getting jars of homemade pumpkin butter for Christmas.

After cutting off the "neck," I halved it, stood the halves upright, and peeled them with a sharp chef's knife. The skin is very tough, so it's much easier to peel with a knife than with a peeler. I then cut the halves in half and sliced the squash very thinly. No matter what kind of squash you use, you'll find that the thinner you cut it, the better.

Next, I peeled some Granny Smith apples, sliced them a little thicker than the pumpkin, and layered them and the pumpkin in a casserole dish with spiced sugar in between. If you make the mistake I did and use a dish that's too small, you'll have to heap the apples up a bit. But don't worry...

...it reduces as it cooks, so it doesn't overflow the dish. It will leave your dish looking pretty messy, though, so plan to transfer it to some nice dessert dishes before serving.

Apple-Pumpkin Delight
(printer-friendly version)

1 pound pumpkin, cushaw, or any sweet winter squash
2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 3 large apples)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Peel the pumpkin or squash and slice it thinly into pieces about 1-inch square (the size matters less than the thinness). Peel the apples and cut into slices, a little thicker than the pumpkin.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch. Oil a 2-quart casserole dish. Arrange half of the pumpkin slices in the dish, and sprinkle with about 1/4 of the sugar mixture; arrange half of the apple slices over the pumpkin and sprinkle with a quarter of the sugar mixture. Repeat pumpkin and sugar and arrange the final layer of apples on top, heaping slightly in the center if necessary; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes. Use a knife to lift up some of the apples and check to see that the pumpkin slices in the middle are completely done; if not, return to the oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 152 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 3 Points.

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Stop the presses! Just a few minutes ago I made another one of these, a 2-serving size without sugar. Honestly, I was prepared for it to be not that good, but it came out surprisingly delicious. I used KAL-brand stevia for sweetening, but it should work with any sweetener that can be cooked. It is a little dry on top, however, so if you're not averse to a little sugar, try drizzling some agave nectar over the top after cooking.



Sugar-Free Apple-Pumpkin Delight
(printer-friendly version)

4 ounces pumpkin
1 Granny Smith apple
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch cloves, ground
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup apple juice
no-calorie sweetener of your choice

Peel the pumpkin or squash and slice it thinly into pieces about 1-inch square (the size matters less than the thinness). Peel the apple and cut into slices, a little thicker than the pumpkin.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch. Add the apple juice and sweetener and mix until well-blended. (Aim for the equivalent of 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Taste the mixture--it should be sweeter than you'd want to drink.)

Oil a small casserole dish. Arrange half of the pumpkin slices in the dish, and arrange half of the apple slices over the pumpkin. Repeat layers, heaping slightly in the center if necessary. Pour the apple juice mixture over all.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes. Use a knife to lift up some of the apples and check to see that the pumpkin slices in the middle are completely done; if not, return to the oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 2 servings. Per serving: 72 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium; 2g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 1 Point.

White Bean Chili

No, this photo wasn't torn out of an old newspaper, though that was the effect I was going for. Sometimes when I don't like the way a photo comes out, I imagine how it would look in some different era, such as the 70's. Dark, washed out colors and a grainy texture can hide a multitude of photographic sins. Or maybe not. (Click on that link, take the tour, and come back here when you've finished laughing. I'll wait for you....Okay, you're back? Good. See, my photo's not so bad after all!)

I've been playing around with this chili recipe for a couple of weeks now, trying it in two old-fashioned appliances that are becoming popular all over again, the crockpot and the pressure cooker. My crockpot had been sitting unused on my shelf for at least a year, so I decided to give it one more try... and that's when I remembered why I'd much rather use a pressure cooker than a slow cooker.

Certainly there are some dishes that taste better with long, slow cooking, but most of the time I find that drawing out the time it takes to cook something doesn't improve the flavor and actually hurts in recipes where ingredients should be added at different stages of the cooking process. Plus, I'm never completely sure when the beans that I start in the crockpot in the morning will be done. Every time I've used my crockpot, I've wound up adding more time or increasing the heat in an effort to make sure my beans are well-cooked. The pressure cooker, on the other hand, cooks time-consuming foods like dried beans so quickly that there's time to spare for adding ingredients in stages and allowing them to blend together. And if more cooking is needed to soften up tough beans, it's as easy as replacing the lid and bringing the cooker back up to pressure for a minute.

But I know there are people who love their slow cookers, so I've included crockpot instructions just for you--as well as stove top directions for those of you who use neither appliance. However you cook it, this white bean chili is truly delicious, if I do say so. Mildly seasoned (unless you opt to add more pepper), its flavor is made richer and deeper by caramelized onions, while masa harina added near the end thickens it and adds mellowness. Read the recipe carefully to learn my amazing, patented (not really) secret for speeding up the browning of onions.



White Bean Chili
(printer-friendly version)

2 cups dried great northern beans
5-6 cups vegetable broth
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 seeded jalapeno pepper, finely minced (optional)
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oregano (Mexican, if available)
1/4 teaspoon white or red pepper (add more if you like it hot)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons mild chili powder (such as ancho)
2 onions, diced
1-2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted taste best)
1-2 tablespoons masa harina (optional)

Soak the beans overnight or use a quick-soak method*. Drain the beans and put them into a pressure cooker, crockpot, or large chili pot. Add the vegetable broth (5 cups for pressure cooking, 6 for crockpot and stove) and all ingredients through chili powder. Begin heating over high heat.

Spray a non-stick skillet with canola oil and heat it. Once it's hot, add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet, until onion is golden brown. (Tip: Add a couple of pinches of baking soda to speed up the caramelization.) Add the onion to the beans.

For pressure cooking: Seal the cooker and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally. Check to make sure beans are soft, and if they aren't, return to high pressure for another minute. Once the beans are soft, add the salt and tomatoes and taste for seasoning. If necessary, add more cumin, pepper, and chili powder. Simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes. Just before serving, add masa harina; stir well and simmer for at least 5 minutes to thicken.

For crockpot: Cook until beans are completely soft, on high for at least 6 hours or on low for at least 8 hours (crockpots vary, so adjust times as necessary). Add the salt and tomatoes, check seasonings, and cook for at least another hour. Add the masa and cook another 10 minutes.

For stovetop: Cover and cook on low heat until beans are completely tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding water as necessary. Add the salt and tomatoes, check the seasonings, and cook for at least 20 minutes. Just before serving, add masa harina, if necessary to thicken; stir well and simmer for at least 5 minutes.

*To quick-soak beans in the pressure cooker, cover with two inches of water and bring to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute, remove from heat, and allow pressure to come down naturally before draining and using beans. To quick-soak without a pressure cooker, cover beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Cover and let stand for 1 hour before draining and using beans.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 259 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 748mg Sodium; 15g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 4 Points.

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My other crockpot recipes:

Chinese Barbequed Tofu and Vegetables
Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Garbanzo Beans

A few of my pressure cooker recipes:

Quick and Delicious Collards
Thick and Hearty Split Pea Soup
Creole Black-eyed Peas
Yellow Split-Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale
Dal Bhaji
Collard Greens and White Bean Soup

Scrambled Tofu with Porcini Mushrooms

Scrambled tofu is one of my family's favorite breakfasts, but I think we enjoy it even more for dinner. There's something comforting about coming home at the end of a long Autumn day to a plate piled high with scrambled tofu, toast, and possibly some creamy grits and vegan sausage. It's the kind of soothing meal I like to fortify myself with before a nerve-wracking night watching election returns.

My scrambled tofu tends to contain about as much vegetables as tofu, making it a great way to get my daughter to eat her veggies without complaint. Everyone in the family has a favorite ingredient: my daughter insists that I add frozen peas to her portion, and my husband often requests artichoke hearts and tomatoes. But we all agree that it isn't scrambled tofu without mushrooms. Recently, when we were all in a scrambled tofu mood but there were no mushrooms in the house, I got the bright idea to add some rehydrated porcini mushrooms and balance out the woodsy taste with some fresh basil. I wasn't trying to be all fancy-schmancy, just get a comfort-meal on the table, but those ingredients, along with a few drops of truffle oil, really take scrambled bean curd to gourmet heights.



Scrambled Tofu with Porcini Mushrooms
(printer-friendly version)

If you'd like to use fresh mushrooms instead of dried, add about 4-8 ounces of sliced mushrooms when you add the zucchini. You can also substitute other vegetables for the zucchini and add a half cup of frozen peas along with the tofu. On nights when I'm running short on time, I've been known to skip the chopping and add a 1-pound bag of frozen vegetables to my tofu (Italian blend with broccoli, zucchini, and peppers is our favorite).

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 bell pepper (red, green, or combination)
2 medium zucchini
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces extra-firm tofu (water-packed, not silken)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, packed (or add 1 tsp. dried to seasoning mix)
3-4 drops truffle oil mixed with two tbsp. water OR 2 tbsp. water

Seasoning mix:

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon chipotle or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch black salt (optional; adds an eggy taste but use sparingly)

Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Allow them to soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Pour soaking liquid through a coffee filter and save it for another use. Remove mushrooms from filter, rinse, and chop into bite-sized pieces.

While the mushrooms are soaking, chop the bell pepper and cut the zucchini into cubes. Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Mash the tofu with a potato masher.

Spray a large skillet lightly with canola or olive oil. Heat it over medium-high, and add the green peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté for another minute. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and cook until the zucchini is softened, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tofu, and seasoning mix and stir well. Add the truffle oil/water mixture or plain water. Stir well, turn heat to low, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Test seasonings, adding more salt if necessary. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 176 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 472mg Sodium; 6g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 3 Points.