When the kids begin to come down from their Halloween sugar high and you begin to turn your thoughts to putting away those Halloween decorations, maybe give another thought to repurposing your Jack O’Lantern. Rather than toss that Jack O’Lantern in the trash, think about reusing it. From pie to curry, pumpkin is a versatile and exciting ingredient for a host of dishes. So, why not use that Jack O’Lantern again for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
First, you will need to bake it. To do so make sure it has been seeded. Then wash it out and slice it in half. Put it on baking dish along with about a cup of water. Cover with foil and bake at 375 until soft. Let it cool and scrape out the soft baked pumpkin. Then decide how you want to use it. Here are a few ideas:
- Breakfast foods like pancakes, breads, coffee cake or muffins
- Main dishes like curry, stews, soups and pastas
- Desserts like pie, cookies and cheesecake
My favorite uses for pumpkin are to use it in a sour cream coffee cake or in a soup with a can of coconut milk and a dash of curry. But there are so many ways to use pumpkin. For more ideas, check out the recipes available at Williams-Sonoma.com and 41 Yummy Pumpkin Recipes at http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/recipes/pumpkin-recipes/.
Happy Baking!
Also published at – http://www.sonomanews.com/News-2011/Recycle-that-Jack-OLantern/index.php?previewmode=on
Modern Mama 