This week is going to go by so fast. Because Cheyenne had to leave for a business trip on the last day of his vacation last month he's been given this Friday off as a kind of pay back - yay for 3 day weekends! Since it's supposed to be fairly nice weather-wise on Friday we're heading off to Kruger's Farm on Sauvie's Island for hay rides, pumpkin picking, farmers market produce, corn maze, & petting zoo. Our friends David & Abigail Martin-Adams {Amelia's god parents} are joining us for the festivities then we're all heading back to Casa de Clark for yummy food and pumpkin carving. Have I mentioned how much I totally love this time of year?
This brings me to the recipes for the week. On the day/evening that we go to the pumpkin patch {something that we did every year long before we had a child} I like to go all out on the festive themed food. Please enjoy and give a few of these a recipes a try - they're all super easy so that you can get to the fun stuff without much hassle!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
After scraping out our pumpkins I wash off all of the seeds then sprinkle them with olive oil and sea salt then roast them in a 300 degree oven for roughly 45 minutes.
Caramel Apple Cider
Normally I'm very anti-Starbucks {along with the rest of Portland} but their caramel apple cider is my one exception. I can't tell you how many times I have relied on this amazing drink to warm me up on a cold rainy Pacific Northwest Fall/Winter day. Here's how to recreate it:
Ingredients:
Fresh apple cider {I get mine from Krugers farmers market but you could use store-bought in a pinch}
Cinnamon dulce syrup
Caramel sauce
Fresh whipped cream
Directions:
Single Serving
For a single cup (and by cup I mean tall size of sbux so 12 oz), add apple cider (12oz or so) add 3 pumps of Cinnamon Dolce (1 pump= about 2 Tbs) you can always add more if you’d like! Then go ahead and heat it up in the microwave like you would any other hot beverage (if you are doing this for a party, just put it over the stove)
If you are a whipped cream person this is where you put the whipped cream on the top! Then top it off with caramel sauce! If you want to get technical the caramel should be in a swirl shape on the top...but go crazy and make fun designs!!!
Large batch:
If you are making it in bulk, go ahead and melt 2 teaspoons of caramel sauce per every cup of apple cider. If you are measuring by the cup, you may want to go ahead and only use 1-2 pumps of C.D per cup. That way it is all ready to go and people can add whip cream on if they’d like!
If you are making it in bulk, go ahead and melt 2 teaspoons of caramel sauce per every cup of apple cider. If you are measuring by the cup, you may want to go ahead and only use 1-2 pumps of C.D per cup. That way it is all ready to go and people can add whip cream on if they’d like!
Pumpkin Soup with Pumpkin Seed-Mint Pesto {in a pumpkin}
Ingredients:
Soup
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 1/2 cups peeled, 1-in. chunks pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash (from a 2 1/2-lb. squash)
4 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Pesto
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 1/2 cups peeled, 1-in. chunks pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash (from a 2 1/2-lb. squash)
4 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Pesto
1 small garlic clove
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus slivered leaves
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus slivered leaves
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds
Directions:
1. Make soup: Sauté onion and ginger in oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until golden, 5 minutes. Add garlic and coriander and cook until softened, 1 minute, then add pumpkin, broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, until pumpkin is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Purée in batches in a blender until very smooth.
1. Make soup: Sauté onion and ginger in oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until golden, 5 minutes. Add garlic and coriander and cook until softened, 1 minute, then add pumpkin, broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, until pumpkin is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Purée in batches in a blender until very smooth.
2. Make pesto: Pound garlic, whole mint leaves, salt, and 1 tbsp. oil in a mortar into a coarse paste (or use a food processor). Add remaining oil and pumpkin seeds and pound until coarsely crushed.
3. Hollow out small-medium sized pumpkins making sure to scrape sides clean and set aside to use a bowls.
4.. Drop small spoonfuls of pesto over bowls of soup, garnish with slivered mint, and serve remaining pesto on the side.
Pumpkin Pie Dip {in a pumpkin}
Ingredients:
1 medium hollowed out pumpkin {for serving in}
1 brick of softened cream cheese {it has to be soft to avoid lumps}
Pumpkin pie filling
Graham crackers & gingersnaps {for serving}
Directions:
Mix the cream cheese & pie filling together with an electric mixer {add the filling 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the flavor that you like}. Scoop into the cleaned out pumpkin and serve with graham crackers and gingersnaps on the side for dipping.
Mix the cream cheese & pie filling together with an electric mixer {add the filling 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the flavor that you like}. Scoop into the cleaned out pumpkin and serve with graham crackers and gingersnaps on the side for dipping.
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