How to cook a pumpkin? Best recipes for Halloween

Now that the cold weather is starting to make a gradual return and the markets are once again full of orange tones and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, we are once again eager to get into the kitchen to prepare a whole host of recipes using the star product of the spooky Halloween season.

Sweet desserts or savoury recipes, the possibilities are many, from the typical cream that solves a dinner, to a spectacular pumpkin curry recipe that we can serve using it as a container and look like real cooks.  

As well as being very versatile and easy to cook, it goes without saying that pumpkins have gained prominence in recent years with the arrival of Halloween, so before cooking them, they can be used to decorate the house for a few days and entertain the youngest members of the family.

Today we will introduce you to the best pumpkin menu recipes that consist of a starter, main course and, of course, a dessert that you can easily prepare at home.

Pumpkin dips for Halloween

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg. pumpkin
• Ground pepper
• Ground cumin
• Pinch of curry powder
• 1 clove of garlic
• Olive oil from Spain
• Salt
• Toasted bread sticks

Preparation method

1. Remove the skin from the pumpkin and the seeds. We put it in a baking tray, lightly greased and take it to the oven, where it should be a little more than one hour and fifteen minutes or until it is completely roasted. The ideal temperature is 180ºC.
2. Once we have completed this first essential step to elaborate our pumpkin dips for Halloween, we will have to transfer the pumpkin pieces to the glass of the grinder.
3. We also add the spices to taste and the garlic clove. Add a pinch of salt and blend until we have a finely ground cream. It will not have lumps and will look excellent.
4. Now is when we will have to add olive oi from Spain l while we continue beating. The amount of olive oil will depend on the type of thickness we want for the pumpkin dips cream for Halloween.
5. Finally, put the mixture in a bowl for dips and put in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
6. When serving, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil from Spain and serve with toasted bread sticks or pieces of Arabic bread.

Pumpkin Falafels

Ingredients

• 300g chickpeas
• 1 large pumpkin
• 1 onion
• 1 potato
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup flour
• Extra virgin olive oil from Spain
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation method

1. Boil the chickpeas in water and salt in a saucepan. Peel and wash the potato, then boil it for 25 minutes in a pot while the other ingredients are cooking.
2. When the chickpeas are prepared, mash them with a fork, add two tablespoons of salt, and then drain them in a colander.
3. Chop the onion and pumpkin, then add them to the pan with a little extra virgin olive oil from Spain. Let it cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
4. Add the potato, flour, and breadcrumbs to the chickpea puree together with the onion and pumpkin. The mixture should be thorough until a thick dough forms.
5. The falafels should be formed into small balls with your hands and fried for eight minutes, or until golden brown.

Pumpkin sponge cake with chocolate and extra virgin olive oil from Spain

For those of you who enjoy soft and fluffy treats, pumpkin and chocolate sponge cake will be the perfect dessert to make the most of this vegetable and enjoy autumn. It’s as easy as mixing the ingredients and baking it in the oven.

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 280 gr of sugar
• 200 ml extra virgin olive oil from Spain
• 300 gr roasted pumpkin
• 500 gr flour
• 3 sachets of baking soda
• 150 gr dark chocolate 
• Powdered sugar

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C with heat up and down. Grease the Nordic Ware baking pan with a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle with a little flour or line it with parchment paper.
2. The first thing to do is to cook the pumpkin. You can cook it chopped in a saucepan of boiling water for 10-15 minutes or cook it in the microwave in the steam case for 5 minutes. Then puree the pumpkin with a blender until you have a fine puree and set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar with a whisk or a hand whisk until you have a foamy, whitish texture.
4. Add the pumpkin puree and the oil, beat again until well blended.
5. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Beat until well blended.
6. Finally, add the chocolate chips to the mixture.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan until it is 3/4 full. Put the pumpkin seeds and a few more chocolate chips on top of the batter.
8. Bake at 170°C for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool in the mold for 10 minutes before unmolding.