8
in other words
november2
2017
An Unusual Culinary Column: Addicted to Pumpkin
By Karen Kain
I had such a successful time
growing pumpkins in my garden I de-
cided to cook up some fabulous recipes
to share with you. If I have done my job
right, after you read this column, you
will be thinking about growing a pump-
kin patch of your own next year. Roast-
ing fresh pumpkins is really easy, but if
you cannot be bothered, canned pump-
kin will work fine for these recipes.
I love this Pumpkin Lasagna
recipe for many reasons; it is creamy and
delicious, you can add lots of different
ingredients to the mix, and there is
much less cheese called for than in most
lasagna recipes. The pumpkin makes
this dish rich. I used regular milk instead
of the cream and loved the result. The
original recipe calls for chard but I used
frozen spinach I had on hand. This is a
super easy recipe to make and it freezes
nicely.
A few years ago, I made a
pumpkin smoothie and really enjoyed it.
I decided to try a new version this year.
Pumpkins are rich in vital antioxidants
and vitamins, low in calories and packed
with vitamin A. This great smoothie is
really filling and a perfect meal to start
the day. I added a handful of pecans to
the mix. Pecans are a great source of
energy. They are high in calories, but
loaded with minerals, antioxidants and
other essential vitamins for wellness.
Pecans are high in monounsaturated
fatty acids like oleic acid and a great
source of phenolic antioxidants. Eating
pecans regularly helps to decrease the
total LDL or “bad cholesterol”
and increases the HDL “good
cholesterol” levels. Pecans actually
contribute to overall antioxidant
activity. I encourage you to go
ahead and throw a large handful
into your smoothie and enjoy it.
If you try nothing else from
all the columns that I have written,
you must give this Pumpkin
Alfredo Sauce recipe a try. This is
one of the best recipes that I have
ever made. I cannot say enough
about the combination of flavors in
this dish. Serving it with meatballs is a
nice way to cut through the richness of
the sauce. I have already made this recipe
twice. This is my new favorite meal to
serve when hosting dinner parties.
Thanks to all of you for sharing
your favorite dishes with me. I appreciate
your tips and recipes.
Pumpkin Lasagna
Ingredients:
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 16-ounce package frozen chopped
spinach (or chard)
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 Teaspoon dried sage
• ½ Teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3 Cups canned pumpkin puree,
1) 28-ounce can
• 1½ Cups heavy cream
• 1½ Cups grated parmesan
• ½ Cup milk
• 9 No-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 Tablespoon butter
Directions:
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the
oil over medium-low heat. Add the on-
ions and cook, stirring occasionally,
until translucent, about 5 minutes. In-
crease the heat to medium-high and add
the spinach, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon
pepper, ½ teaspoon sage, and ¼ teaspoon
nutmeg. Cook, stirring until the spinach
is wilted and no liquid remains in the
pan, 5-10 minutes. Heat the oven to 400˚
F. In a medium bowl, mix together 2
cups of the pumpkin, ¾ cup cream, ½
cup parmesan, and the remaining 1¼
teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½
teaspoon sage, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
Pour the milk into an 8 by 12-inch bak-
ing dish. Top the milk with 1 / 3 noodles,
then spread ½ the pumpkin mixture over
the noodles. Layer half the spinach over
the pumpkin and top with a second layer
of noodles. Repeat with another layer of
pumpkin, spinach and noodles. Combine
the remaining 1 cup of pumpkin and 3 / 4
cup of cream. Spread the mixture evenly
over the top of the lasagna, sprinkle with
the remaining 1 cup of parmesan, and
dot with butter. Cover with aluminum
foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover
and bake until golden, about 15 minutes
more.
Pumpkin Smoothie
Ingredients:
• 1) 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 3 Cups almond milk
• ½ Cup vanilla yogurt
• ¼ Cup chopped pecans
• Dash of cinnamon
• A few graham crackers, crushed
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Directions:
Freeze the pumpkin in ice cube trays
a few hours ahead of time. Throw the
frozen pumpkin cubes, almond milk,
yogurt, and pecans into the blender and
puree until smooth. Pour into a glass and
sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon and a
tablespoon of crushed graham crackers
over top and enjoy. Cinnamon graham
crackers work nicely with the recipe.
Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients:
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ Teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 / 3 Cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ Cup fresh grated parmesan
• A dash of cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds
• Meatballs (optional)
• Linguini, cooked per the directions
Directions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan on
medium heat. Add the garlic and cook
for about a minute. Add the cream,
parmesan, pumpkin puree, nutmeg, and
cayenne pepper. Stir until the sauce is
heated through and cheese is melted. If
needed, add water to get the consistency
you desire. Serve over cooked linguini
noodles and meatballs on top.
One Way To Roast A Pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Cut the top
off the pumpkin then cut in half, and
then cut into quarters. Remove the seeds
and pulp. Put the pumpkin quarters
onto a baking sheet skin down, drizzle
with olive oil and roast until they start
to shrivel and get soft. This will take
about an hour depending on the size of
your pumpkins. Remove from the oven
and cool for 15 minutes. Scoop out the
pumpkin and put into a food processor.
Puree the pumpkin until it is a smooth
texture; add a few tablespoons of water
if needed.
Karen Kain can be
karenkain8@icloud.com
reached
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