When contemplating cooking with pumpkins two things often come to mind: pie and Thanksgiving. Though Thanksgiving is usually when pumpkin pie is served, this squash has more uses than just dessert.
Pumpkins are a variety of winter squash. These differentiate themselves from summer squash like zucchini by their hard shells and long shelf life. With a cool location, a winter squash can remain fresh for months. Pumpkin is not the only winter squash.
Other varieties include kabocha, delicata, acorn, butternut and carnival. Often winter squashes can be substituted for each other in recipes with little difference in taste. In fact, some cans of pumpkin puree at the store might be butternut squash puree instead, the flavors are so close.
Those cans of pumpkin (or butternut) puree at the store are a time-saver in the kitchen when preparing a recipe using pureed squash. Winter squash has a large percentage of water in the flesh. This must be removed when pureeing pumpkin or squash at home.
To make puree from a whole pumpkin or squash, the squash needs to be halved, seeded and baked until soft. Scoop out the flesh and puree it in a food processor. Then drain the puree in a cheesecloth-lined colander overnight to get a puree with the same thickness as canned.
Prepare a pumpkin soup by thinning the puree with broth and adding curry powder and sauteed onions for a savory treat. Mix the puree with pumpkin pie spice and cream for a rich dessert soup that will make you forget about pie.
Use pumpkin or squash to enhance the nutrition of other dishes. Squash has a significant amount of beta carotene, giving the flesh its bright orange color. Stir pureed pumpkin into sauce for lasagna or macaroni and cheese. The bright golden-orange color will blend in with the sauce, and the dish will be fortified with the vitamins and fiber from the squash without affecting the flavor of the dish.
Substitute winter squash for another winter vegetable favorite, the potato. Winter squash can be cooked and mashed like potatoes or sweet potatoes to replace either dish on a holiday table for fewer calories and more fiber.
Instead of baked potatoes, halve a small acorn squash and remove the seeds. Bake it until the flesh is soft, scoop out the pulp and mash it with milk. Return the mashed squash to the shell, top with Parmesan cheese or breadcrumbs and bake again to toast the top.
For a Thanksgiving leftover twist on twice-baked winter squash, mash the squash with cranberry sauce and top the mashed squash with leftover stuffing before baking a second time. Winter squash and cranberry sauce make a surprisingly delicious fall recipe pairing.
This year, instead of looking at winter squash and pumpkins as just fall decorations, use them in your baking, and expand your cooking repertoire for squash beyond just pie to take advantage of these gourds.
Crystal Hessong - Athena Hessong has been professionally writing since 2004, penning thousands of articles on hundreds of topics.
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