What To Do With The Leftover Pumpkin

Halloween is just around the corner and with it comes the obligatory carving of pumpkins. To make the most of your pumpkins, here are some great recipes of what to do with the leftover pumpkin after carving – easy recipes that will also leave you feeling virtuous that you are not adding to the sugar mountain your kids no doubt have accumulated over the trick or treating season.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Perfect on salads, as a snack or sprinkled on soup, roasted pumpkin seeds are great and so versatile.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds, or whatever you scoop from one pumpkin
• 3 tbsps butter, melted, or an equal amount of the cooking oil of your choice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 130°C.
• Line a large sheet pan with aluminium foil and lightly grease it with butter or oil.
• Clean your pumpkin seeds and remove all flesh and stringy bits.
• Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
• Add all the seasoning ingredients together and coat the seeds.
• Lay out the seeds on the foil covered tray.
• Put in the oven and roast for 45mins.
• Turn the temperature upto 250°C and roast on high heat for 5 mins to make crispy

PUMPKIN HUMMUS

Always a winner as a snack after school or as a dip when you have guests.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs of pumpkin flesh
• 250ml extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
• 2 green chillies
• 4 tbsps tahini
• 3 tbsps lemon juice
• Plain yogurt for garnish
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Take your pumpkin flesh and rub with olive oil and salt. Place in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 1 hour.
• While pumpkin is baking, place garlic, chillies and remaining olive oil in a small pot over low heat. Poach garlic and peppers in oil until completely soft (30 to 40 minutes). Garlic should be very lightly browned.
• Put your roasted pumpkin flesh, garlic-poaching olive oil, garlic, chillies, tahini and lemon juice into a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper (add water if needed).
• Swirl yogurt over the top and sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds and coriander to serve.

PUMPKIN BUTTER

Lovely on toast or pancakes, this is a different twist on the traditional recipes using leftover pumpkins and can become a new family tradition for the time of year.

INGREDIENTS

• The flesh from one large pumpkin (remove all seeds)
• 30g butter
• 450g brown sugar
• 60ml apple juice
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tbsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tbsp cloves

METHOD

• Combine all the ingredients and put it into a slowcooker for 8 hours or over night.
• Once cooked, blend together into a spread.
• Put in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for upto 2 weeks.