pumpkin – Page 6 – The Pajama Chef

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

November 9, 2012November 9, 2012 Sarah

At the beginning of October, Ben and I were at Walmart late one Sunday night. We were coming home from a church event and desperately needed a few things for our lunches the next day. Typically I avoid Walmart like the plague, especially in this town because it’s always so busy and it stresses me out… but sometimes it just can’t be avoided. We walked past the cream cheese and I saw the Holy Grail of cream cheese: Philadelphia Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese. PUMPKIN SPICE!! I couldn’t believe it. I got so excited. But for reasons unbeknownst to me, I decided I would get it “later.”

Why? I’m not sure, because I’ve regretted it ever since. Especially during every one of the three visits I’ve made to Walmart since that time looking for that stinking cream cheese has been met in failure as they have been out. 😦 And none of the grocery stores I’ve looked in have carried it at all. 😦 😦 😦 After entering into a state of depression and realizing that I may never get to experience the glory that is Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese, I decided that something must be done. I had to make it myself!

Guess what? Though I’ve never tasted the original, I don’t miss it one bit. The four ingredient version I whipped up in a couple of minutes in my food processor is slightly sweet and is absolutely heavenly.

Opening the jar is a delightful sensory experience as the unmistakable warm fall spices just jump out, waiting to be enjoyed. Plussssss, though I can’t say this for certain, my version uses real pumpkin puree for an authentic pumpkin taste–not some combination of natural and artificial flavors. How bout just some natural flavors? Sounds good to me, for sure.

This Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese is perfect for spreading on bagels, for dipping apples or graham crackers, and for snacky spoonfuls. I suspect it would be glorious along with some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins too, but I can’t verify yet. What could be wrong with double pumpkin?? Nothing much that I can tell. I’ll need to try that ASAP. 🙂 To make it more of a dessert spread, use a little more sugar–but I truthfully found it flavorful enough without lots of added sugar. If you make this after trying the original, do let me know how they compare, because I’m curious. From what I can tell, the original is more of a spread, and this version is slightly more airy and whipped, but that’s all I know for now. But alas… I know this is good. Really good. And for that, I am happy… even though it took several Walmart excursions to make it happen. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese [adapted from Better Homes & Gardens]
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Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened [I used Neufchâtel]
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in deep bowl and beat on high with hand mixer for 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer or whisk. Taste and adjust seasonings and sweetener as desired. Refrigerate for at least one hour before using for best taste, then use within a week.

Time: 10 minutes + time to chill.

Yield: ~ 1 1/2 cups.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins | The Pajama Chef

Breads, Recipes

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

November 7, 2012November 22, 2016 Sarah

So, Ben and I have a bad history with cornbread. Early on in our marriage, I made a 9×9 pan of cornbread and it was absolutely delicious… for days #1 and #2. But then on day #3, things changed. I’ll spare you the details, even though it wasn’t super gross like mold or anything like that… I’m not even sure how to describe it, except to say that the cornbread just turned. Turned for the worst. It was so bad… so fast. I guess that’s how these things go sometimes… and as a result, we’ve become suspicious about our cornbread, often fearing making it ourselves and/or eating it [even if someone else has made it!].

But THIS. THIS cornbread is nothing short of amazing.

Pumpkin + stone-ground blue cornmeal in muffin form=amazing. Did I just say amazing twice? Three times? Sorry, but I’m not sorry… these Pumpkin Cornbread [muffins] are simply the best!

Can we just say that pumpkin makes everything better? [Even endless election talk?] I think so! Please.

This cornbread is everything your typical cornbread needs to be–slightly sweet, soft, yet hearty enough to pair with a great soup or stew for dipping. Yet… this cornbread is a little different. Fall spices, pumpkin, and a hint of molasses make this cornbread incredibly flavorful and different… but not different enough for suspicious eaters [like us, the bad-experience-cornbread-eaters] to reject.

Don’t you love that?

Even though I initially made these for a soup night, I found myself pairing them with a good ‘ole schmear of pumpkin butter for breakfast.

I would never do that with regular cornbread, so I consider that a victory for sure! Enjoy. 🙂

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

Servings: 12
Time: 20 minutes
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from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal [I used a stone-ground blue cornmeal]
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon molasses

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.

In a mixing bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and cornmeal. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil, and molasses. Gently stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then spoon into muffin cups.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Pumpkin, Kale, & Black Bean Stew

October 29, 2012October 29, 2012 Sarah

I’ve definitely been slacking on the pumpkin front this fall. I’ve made several batches of my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins…. a few breakfasts of pumpkin pie baked oatmeal… and a few other treats that I’ll share about soon. But all in all, I’m not sure what my deal is: I still love pumpkin and still have been using it in recipes, but I just haven’t been blogging about it. How weird!

Well, that’s going to change. This week. Right now, in fact.

A couple weeks ago, I didn’t feel like the dinner I had planned on my weekly menu plan [this happens semi-often…], so I just started pulling things out of the fridge and pantry and put together this quick Pumpkin, Kale, & Black Bean Stew. I wasn’t sure if it would be blog-worthy, but once I took a bite, I was smitten!

This thick stew’s pumpkin base is the perfect canvas for flavorful, healthy black beans, stewed tomatoes, and kale. For non-pumpkin lovers, the pumpkin flavor simply serves as a base for hearty ingredients. But for pumpkin lovers, just a pinch of pumpkin pie spice[!!!] is the secret ingredient to lasting pumpkin love! And boy, do I love pumpkin. This stew comes together in a flash, and is so flavorful that it doesn’t need any typical soup toppings [cheese, sour cream, etc.]. However, to make it a little more indulgent, I stirred in a bit of half and half at the very end. Great decision! And an even better decision on my part [and yours!] would be to make this stew again asap. It is that good. 🙂 Enjoy!!

Pumpkin, Kale, & Black Bean Stew
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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 [15 ounce] can stewed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 leaves kale, chopped [about 2 loosely packed cups]
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
2 tablespoons half and half

Directions:

In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with black pepper. Saute for about 5-6 minutes or until soft and translucent. Next, add chicken broth, pumpkin, black beans, tomatoes, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until combined, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Lastly, add kale and sage, and cook for another minute or two. Stir in half and half and serve immediately.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Lime Chicken Rice Bake

January 18, 2012 Sarah

Maybe it’s because I’m from Indiana, maybe it’s because I’m sorta lazy and am not always the biggest fan of making a main dish and several sides to complete a meal, but the truth is… I’m a big fan of casseroles and other one-dish meals. Not the kind with random cream-of …. soups or mystery meat or canned vegetables drowning in salt water. But the kind with fresh ingredients and tons of flavor from herbs and spices. Like this Lime Chicken Rice Bake that I created on a whim one night when I was trying to use up some leftover rice and black beans.

The punch of flavor in this dish comes from limes and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, which I keep in a small container in my freezer. An unexpected ingredient–pumpkin–gives this dish a bit of creaminess without adding tons of fat and calories. We enjoyed this for dinner several times on it’s own and also remade into nachos another night. Any way you serve it, Lime Chicken Rice Bake is a warm, comforting dish that is healthy, sure to please, and will certainly make you rethink your opinion of casseroles for good!

Lime Chicken Rice Bake
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Ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown rice
1 3/4 cup black beans/15 ounce can, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, chopped and 1-2 tablespoon adobe sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon lime balm, chopped [or zest of 1 lime]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spay. In a large bowl, stir together rice, beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, chicken, corn, and 1/2 cup cheese. In a smaller bowl, whisk together chipotle peppers and adobe sauce, garlic, oregano, lime juice, milk, and lime balm/zest. Stir this mixture into the rice mixture then spread into casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot. Then remove from oven and top with last 1/2 cup of cheese. Return to oven and cook for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Time: 35 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 8 servings.

Breakfast, Granola

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bars

November 15, 2011November 18, 2015 Sarah

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bars–equally yummy for a snack or for a healthy dessert!

Last spring, I was addicted to making homemade granola bars. I blogged about a couple recipes, but also had a some serious flops. Like the burnt cherry-almond granola bars or the pumpkin granola bars that were a weird combination between crunchy granola bar and thick oatmeal. Not good. Not good at all, friends. Truth be told, I had sort of given up on the idea of pumpkin granola bars after that incident. But then I saw this recipe from Michelle at The Lively Kitchen, and I was smitten. I knew I had to try it. Her Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bars sounded incredible with two of my favorite flavors, and they also looked crisp instead of mushy.

On Sunday, the stars aligned.* I was at the grocery store picking up a few things for the week when I thought I should get some snacks for the trip to Florida. I’ll be flying on Wednesday during lunchtime and am anticipating the hunger of a really late and/or expensive lunch already. So I started looking at the granola and energy bar selection and was sorely disappointed. Everything was either sugar laden** or uber expensive. So I walked away from the cereal aisle and headed home to my kitchen, ready to get to work. I love how this recipe incorporates a bunch of pantry staples and was very impressed with how well the batter held together before baking. While the bars were baking, my kitchen was filled with a delicious spiced aroma. It took all of my will-power to let them cool completely before cutting, but once they were there, all bets were off. Though they are not as crisp as the quintessential granola bar, they are about a billion steps up from pumpkin granola bar attempt #1–a definite win in my book.

Ben and I both agreed that these bars are great. They are flavorful, filling, and portable–three essentials for snacks in our house. I have a feeling we’ll be fighting over every last one until ~~the bitter end~~ I make more. For now, I’ll just stare at this and enjoy… the kitchen is a little too far away right now…

*I don’t really know what it means when “the stars align” and I don’t really believe in that sort of thing anyway, but it sounded good so I went with it. 🙂

**I know this recipe has sugar in it, but I know what it is and where it came from. That’s loads better to me!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bars

Servings: 12 bars
Time: 25 minutes
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adapted slightly from The Lively Kitchen
Ingredients:

3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup water
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup almond butter
1/3 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 inch pan with baking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together flaxseeds and water. The mixture will start to gel. In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, and chocolate chips. Add maple syrup, almond butter [I microwaved mine for about 30 seconds to soften it up a bit first], and pumpkin to the gelled flaxseed mixture. Stir together well, then fold into dry ingredients until fully combined. The mixture will be thick, and to be honest, I used my hands to speed the process up.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to even out the mixture. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until set. Do not overbake, bars will harden a bit as they cool. Cool completely before cutting.