Miniature Pumpkins Stuffed With Spiced Lentils Recipes

MINIATURE PUMPKINS STUFFED WITH SPICED LENTILS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Fill a 9X13-inch baking pan with 1 inch of water. Set whole pumpkins in pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until blade of a knife penetrates flesh easily. (or microwave: With tip of a sharp knife, poke holes in each pumpkin. Set pumpkins in a microwave-safe plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 7 minutes. Rotate pumpkins and microwave 4 to 5 minutes longer.) Let cool, then carefully remove tops to make a lid. Scoop out seeds.
• While pumpkins are baking, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, sugar, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Add lentils and broth. Cover and cook until lentils are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain into a colander. Season lentils with salt and cayenne.
• Fill hollowed pumpkins with equal amounts of hot lentil mixture. Cover each pumpkin with its lid and serve at once.
• In the past, I've also baked a pretty medium-sized pumpkin at 325 (It takes longer, depending on size) and used it as a serving bowl.

STUFFED BABY PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the pumpkins. With a small, sharp knife, remove the tops as if for a jack-o'-lantern. Scoop out the seeds and stringy insides with a spoon, leaving the flesh intact. Rinse, then rub with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add the scallions and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or so, until fragrant. Add the kale and cook until it just wilts, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and transfer to a bowl. Add the bread crumbs, cheese, pine nuts, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black peppers. Mix well, then stir in the cream.
• Divide the filling into the pumpkins and replace the tops. Rub a baking dish with olive oil and arrange the filled pumpkins in the dish.
• Bake for 1 hour, watching to make sure the tops don't brown too much. Test the pumpkins by piercing with a fork. If the skin doesn't pierce easily, remove the tops and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Replace the tops and serve hot.

SPINACH-STUFFED PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut off tops and remove seeds from pumpkins. Coat the insides with butter, and season with salt and pepper. Replace lids. Place in a shallow baking dish with a small amount of water to prevent bottoms from scorching during cooking.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until insides have darkened yet outsides remain firm. Meanwhile, small saucepan, stir softened cream cheese into spinach until melted and well-blended.
• Fill pumpkins with spinach mixture, and top each with a slice of cheese. Return to the oven for 3 minutes to melt cheese if serving immediately. Pumpkins may be covered and refrigerated at this point until ready to serve. May be reheated in the microwave for 2 minutes.

BAKED MINIATURE PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scrape out all the seeds. Place the butter or margarine and brown sugar inside the pumpkin and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Put the pumpkin lid back on and place pumpkin in a baking pan with a little water in the bottom.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until tender. These can also be baked in the microwave on high for about 10 to 15 minutes.

LENTIL STUFFED PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Cook red lentils in water (this will take 25 min).Cut baby pumpkin in half and take out pulp. Put some salt and oil over the halves and put them in the oven 220/gas mark 7 for 40 min (turning half way)
• Meanwhile dice the tomatoes and chop up the pepper.
• After the lentils have been in for 25 min remove them from the pan. Cook the garlic (crushed) and curry powder for a minute. Add the red pepper, tomatoes, coconut powder, lentils (which should be in about 200ml worth of water , if not top up water as appropriate). Simmer all of these for 15 min. Add frozen spinach when 10 min remaining.
• Get the pumpkin out and put the lentil mix in. It will probably make enough to fill the middle a couple of times for each portion.

STUFFED HOLIDAY MINI PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Drain yams and mash or puree in a food processor with egg yolk, salt, cinnamon, and melted butter; beat egg white until stiff and fold into yam puree.
• Cut top 3/4" of pumpkins off and set aside; scoop pulp from pumpkin; spoon yam filling into pumpkins and set aside.
• Topping: Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of filling in each pumpkin; partially spear each pumpkin with a toothpick near the top edge; push reserved pumpkin top onto the remaining portion of exposed toothpick until top sits firmly attached to pumpkin, like a tipped hat.
• Bake pumpkins on a baking sheet until fork can pierce pumpkin shell in an inconspiuous place, 30-60 minutes depending on size of pumpkin.

MINI PUMPKIN SPICE TRIFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together the first 8 ingredients. In another bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil until smooth; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture; beat until well blended., Line a 9-in. square baking pan with parchment; grease paper. Pour in batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack., For filling, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth., To assemble, cut cake into 1/2-in. cubes. In 8 juice glasses or small parfait glasses, alternate layers of cake and filling, ending with filling. If desired, sprinkle with additional cinnamon.