Roast Pumpkin Seeds recipe
Is there anything more fun than carving a pumpkin on Halloween? The answer is yes- It’s roasting and eating the seeds when you are finished making your Jack O’Lantern. These seeds brought up a notch with a zesty and mildly spicy Mexican flavor. These flavored pumpkin seeds are nutrient-rich, containing zinc, omega-3’s, and phytosterols. They are called Pepitas in Mexico. Trick or Treat! Here is something good to eat!
Ingredients:
2 cups pumpkin seeds (fresh from a carving pumpkin)
½ tsp. chili powder
1 lime, cut in half and squeezed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional pinch of Cayenne Powder
Directions:
1) Wash pumpkin seeds well in water. Dry them with a paper towel.
2) Put spices, oil, and lime juice on the seeds and mix well. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10- 14 minutes, or until crispy, dry, and fragrant.
Baby Pumpkins Stuffed with Sausage recipe
These are made with very cute baby pumpkins! A perfect idea for individual-sized portions and a great way to celebrate the fall. An added plus is that kids love them, and they can help.
Ingredients:
8 mini pumpkins, about 4 inches in diameter
1 pound bulk sausage
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup course breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Cut the tops off the pumpkins and scoop out the seeds.
Oil, salt, and pepper the insides of the pumpkins and set them aside.
Sauté the onion and garlic in a small saute pan for about 5 minutes or until they are soft and fragrant.
Combine the sausage, onion, garlic, eggs, breadcrumbs, and herbs in a large bowl. Stir together until fully combined.
Fill each pumpkin with the sausage mixture so that they are very full and heaped on top.
Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until the pumpkins are soft and the sausage is cooked through.
Pumpkin Ravioli recipe
The sweet and earthy flavors of a pumpkin are enveloped in tender pockets of pasta and topped with a decadent browned butter and sage sauce. This is a fabulous pumpkin recipe that can be made to impress even your most snobby friends! It may take some time, but it is worth it! Also, the raviolis can be made ahead of time and frozen for use later on. Makes about 50 4-inch raviolis.
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
6 whole eggs
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
For the Filling:
1 small pumpkin (about 4 pounds), or 2- 15-ounce cans of pumpkin puree*
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 dash ground cloves
Cinnamon, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
About 1 cup of breadcrumbs
2 eggs
For the Sauce:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
about 10 whole sage leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
grated parmesan, to taste
Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or large bowl.
Puree the ingredients together until a solid mass is formed, about 1 minute. The dough should not be wet and should be dry enough that it does not stick to the bowl. If it is too wet, add some flour.
Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic, and place in the refrigerator. Let it rest for at least one hour.
Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Rub the cavity with salt, pepper, and oil. Place the flesh side down on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 1 hour, or until it is soft when punctured with a knife or fork.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven and scoop the soft pumpkin meat into a blender or food processor. Puree until no chunks remain. Let cool to room temperature or refrigerate until cold.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree with the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Stir together.
Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to your liking.
Add enough breadcrumbs so that the mixture will hold its shape when scooped onto a flat surface. You may need more breadcrumbs if you made the puree from scratch.
Add the eggs and stir well until they are fully incorporated.
The filling mixture can now be set aside until you are ready to fill the raviolis. It can also be frozen at this time. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the pasta dough until it is very thin so that you can almost see through it. Use plenty of flour so it does not stick.
Cut the dough into one long rectangle that is about eight inches thick, and as long as you can make it.
Using a one-ounce portion scoop or a large spoon, scoop about 1/8 cup onto one side of the strip of dough.
Repeat this all the way down the dough, placing each scoop about 2 inches apart from each other.
Fold the other side of the dough, which does not have filling on it, over the filling. Then, using your fingers, press around each of the raviolis, moving the air out away from the filling.
Cut in between each of the lumps of filling, creating many squares. Crimp the edges of each ravioli with a fork.
At this point, the raviolis can be frozen on a cookie sheet. When completely frozen, they can be bagged for future use. They will holdfor about 6 months.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water enough so that it tastes like ocean water.
In a saute pan, melt the butter with the garlic over medium heat until it is foamy and has a nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Add the sage leaves and let them cook until they are crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat. Be careful not to burn the butter or the garlic.
Turn the hot water down to a simmer. Place the raviolis into the salted water and let them cook for about 4 minutes or until they float to the top. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a serving platter.
Once all the raviolis are cooked, top with the butter sauce, garnish with fresh sage and grated parmesan, and serve.