It’s Halloween tomorrow night and like many households over the world we have bought some pumpkins and have made a very scary guy (according to The Boy). I used to live in the USA and I ate a lot of pumpkin then as it’s not just saved for Halloween over there and they actually eat it rather than only just hollow it out to make a “jack-o-lantern”. I rarely buy pumpkins but when I have done so I have made some really yummy things. So here are some easy and delicious recipes and ideas for all that pumpkin that you probably waste every year when you carve one for Halloween. I hope they make you decide to use it more often in your cooking. 

Pumpkin soup:

750g pumpkin (chopped and peeled)

2 litres chicken or vegetable stock made up with baby stock cubes or low salt cubes

1 large baking potato

1 small sweet potato

1 medium onion

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Salt & pepper, to taste (salt is optional)

150ml cream (optional)

Peel and chop all the vegetables into cubes then place in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and stock. Add some more water if the stock doesn’t cover the vegetables. Bring it all to the boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes until all the veg is soft. Use a hand blender to puree the soup and then add the seasoning to taste. You can add the cream in here if you want to make it more of a creamy consistency but it is not essential.

Pumpkin fritters:

250g cooked and mashed pumpkin

1 tsps plain flour

1 small egg

1/2  tsp baking powderl

Mix the pumpkin, egg, flour, and baking powder all together then spoon dollops into a hot pan with some butter or sunflower oil. Fry on both sides for a couple minutes until they are golden brown then serve. For adults or older children you can sprinkle them with some sugar but I don’t think it’s necessary.

More pumpkin ideas:

• Mix some cooked and mashed pumpkin, carrot and potato together with an egg then roll the mixture into small balls. Flatten a bit then roll into breadcrumbs and either fry or bake.
• Pumpkin works really well with feta cheese (which may be too salty for your kids) so try it mashed then spooned onto some filo pastry, sprinkled with feta and cooked for about 10 mins and you have some easy peasy “quiches” / tarts.
• Roasted pumpkin is completely delicious. Just peel it and cut into wedges then sprinkle with some olive oil, salt and pepper and some rosemary and cook in the oven on 180 degrees C until the pumpkin is cooked and browning.
• My Butternut Squash Cheesey Sauce is really good if you replace the butternut squash with pumpkin. In fact any butternut squash dish can have pumpkin in it instead.
• For little babies or just as a side dish simply try cooking the pumpkin then pureeing it or mashing it. Yummy!!

There are TONNES more ideas for pumpkin so let me know your favourite ones!!