Weekly Recipe #87: 10 Pumpkin Recipes

In honor of our young professional group's pumpkin carving event this Sunday, we have 10 terrific ways to cook and bake with pumpkin this week. Perfect for savory and sweet dishes alike, the versatile gourd is low in calories and chock full of vitamins and antioxidants, making it a great choice for everything from waffles to soup.

Many of these recipes call for canned pumpkin, but you can easily whip up your own instead -- we've included a recipe for homemade pumpkin puree below.

1. Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup
2. Pumpkin Shrimp Curry
3. Honey Ginger Pumpkin Butter
4. Black Bean Pumpkin Chili
5. Pumpkin Rolls with Brown Sugar Glaze
6. Pumpkin Risotto
7. Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
8. Pumpkin, Chickpea and Red Lentil Stew
9. Honey Walnut Pumpkin Bread
10. Thai-Spiced Pumpkin Soup


Pumpkin Puree
(Yields about one cup of puree per pound of raw pumpkin)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds and strings.
3. Place halves hollow side down in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil. Add a little water to the pan.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 1½ to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Remove.
5. When cool, scrape pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in a food processor or blender.
6. Drain the puree before using it in recipes. Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth, paper towels or a dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to drain the extra moisture.