Traditional Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 1/2 cup butter 
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 cup cooked/canned pumpkin puree
1 teastpoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (can use a blend of whole wheat)
1 teastpoon baking powder
1 teastpoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup diced roasted almonds or walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Mix (and sift) flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmet and cinnamon. Add nuts and chocolate pieces. Mix thoroughly all cookie ingredients.

Drop by teaspoon measure onto well-greased cookie sheet (or flat stoneware). Bake at 350 for 15 min or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets while still warm and cool on racks. Makes 6 dozen. These cookies stay soft so store them in a covered container with waxed paper between rows or else they will stick together (if they last that long).

Laura Nielsen's Pumpkin Casserole

 When we were first married we met approximately monthly with other newly married couples for Family Home Evening (FHE), it was a great transition from singles ward FHE to family FHE. We took turns meeting at different homes and had dinner, study and activities together. It was awesome. Some couples came in and out, but the core couples we met with are Chris and Laura Nielsen and Pat and Jill Crist. At an FHE in October/November Laura made this and I have made it every year since. 

A word on pumpkins: my favorite pumpkin for this is what Trader Joe's called a "Cinderella Pumpkin" it is kind of funky-looking and like a sat-on sphere, but when you cut it in half you end up with 2 rounds that I bake and put the casserole in one half and use the other half for whatever I want pumpkin for.

2 1/2 pounds hamburger 
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups green (and/or other colored) peppers, cupped
1 Tablespoon salt
2 cups onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups rice, cooked
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 can mushrooms (I usually don't have this and just omit it, or perhaps use freshe mushmooms)
1/4 cup soy sauce (we have been appropriately schooled and so use Aloha shoyu, of course)
1 (or 1/2 in this case) pumpkin

Cut and clean out the pumpkin and bake, I bake both halves of our Cinderella pumpkin on different bun pans for about an hour at 350 degrees. You can cook the rice and prep the veggies and such during this time.

Brown and drain hamburger and add mix in all the other ingredients (other than the pumpkin). I like to prick the pumpkin skin with a fork (or my tomato/onion holder for slicing) it helps you know if the flesh is ready and I think it helps the pumpkin absorb more of the flavor. Fill the pumpkin half with the mixture--it can be a rounded mound--and put it back in the oven to bake, you probably only need about 30 min more or so to make sure everything is warm and ready.

You can serve the pumpkin on the bun pan, or if you're fancy put it on a big tray. Serve it with a big spoon with somewhat sharp edges so you can scoop out some of the pumpkin with each serving.

For 12 servings approx: 430 Calories, 13 g fat (will depend on the amount of fat in your hamburger), 16 g protein, 63 g carb, 38 mg cholesterol, 1400 mg sodium

Pumpkin Chicken Curry

 2 Tbsp canola oil, divided

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes

3/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp yellow curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup canned pure pumpkin (or your own pumpkin puree)

1/2 cup coconut milk

Additional vegetables (not included in the original recipe, but definitely should be):  carrots, frozen or fresh green beans, white or sweet potatoes . . . whatever you have and want to try.  You could also add garbanzo beans or replace the chicken with garbanzo beans if you want it vegetarian.

Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in a medium nonstick saute pan over medium heat.  Add chicken; brown the meat on all sides.  Remove the chicken to a plate; set aside.

Heat remaining canola oil in the pan over medium heat.  Saute onion, ginger and garlic until onion is translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the curry powder, spices and salt.  Cook mixture 1 minute.

Stir in the pumpkin and coconut milk, then add the browned chicken (and vegetables).  Bring sauce to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low; cook an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken (and vegetables) are cooked through and sauce is fragrant and homogeneous.  Serve with rice or another grain.  Makes 6 servings.

This was in the Costco Connection magazine October 2020.

Pumpkin Pancakes

 1 1/2 cups milk (or 1/2 cup powdered milk and 1 1/3 cups water)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

2 cups flour

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.  Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl.  Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.  Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.  Brown on both sides and serve hot.  

Of course we make them with chocolate chips and sometimes also sprinkle sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts or pecans on top before you turn them.  They are delicious with maple or buttermilk syrup, jams or even caramel syrup and whipped cream.

Makes 6 pancakes

278 Calories, 7.2 g fat, 40 mg Cholesterol, 608 mg Sodium, Total Carbs 45.6g, Dietary fiber 2.6 g, Protein 7.9 g.