Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins! (Me, obsessed? Never!)

So with October comes pumpkins. A lot of folk just use them to calve up and make lanterns with, which is fine but I you do, you are missing a trick because it is a delicious ingredient. If you haven't cooked or eaten pumpkin before then DO IT, you won't be disappointed (and if you are then I am so sorry). This year I have got a little bit obsessed with pumpkins but in the UK they are only in the shops for a month so I am making the most out of them. At the moment I have a freezer full of pumpkin puree and I can't wait to use it!  Just be careful to sure that you but edible pumpkins and not the ones labeled "calving only" or "non edible" as they're grown in pretty horrible things than you probably don't want to munch on. Here are a few recipes for you to get on with and my pumpkin risotto recipe can be found here The photo of me on the right is because at my Slimming World group some of us have been doing a "Calendar Girls" style pics and this is mine... honestly I am not obsessed with pumpkins!!

How to prep the pumpkin (the easy way)

Take a pumpkin, with a very sharp knife cut it in half, spoon out the seed, turn each half upside-down on a large baking tray, with an edge (it does piss out quite a bit of liquid which you can use as stock if you collect it up) and roast in the oven until the skin goes dark orange. Let it cool until you can handle it and then scoop out the flesh and puree it.


Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese, slimming world stylee

21.5 syns for the whole thing
5.5 syns per person
or 4 syns + 1 Healthy A per person

6 rashers of Smoky Bacon, all fat removed and cut into matchsticks
2 cloves of Garlic, crushed
A load of Mushrooms, sliced
450g pureed Pumpkin
a pinch of Salt
250ml skimmed milk (4 syns)
125ml Stock
40g Light Cheddar, grated (6 syns)
30g Parmesan, grated (6 syns)
300g Macoroni, cooked and drained
35g Edam, grated (5.5 syns)

Fry the bacon and garlic in frylight in a saucepan and then add in mushrooms, stir until cooked and then take them out of the pan and set to one side.

Put the pureed pumpkin into the saucepan with the milk and stock, heat until it starts to simmer and then chuck in the cheddar and the parmesan. Keep stirring until the cheese melts and then throw in the mushroom and bacon.

Mix in the macoroni and pop it all into a lasagne dish and cover with the edam. Wack it in the oven until it is golden on the top and munch. Nom!

• The Sauce is SP friendly and would be fab with cauliflower cheese!

Pumpkin Scan Bran Pie

The whole pie is synfree + 1 healthy b or 5.5 syns if you aren't using the scan bran as a healthy b

For the “crust”
5 Scan Brans, blended into a powder/flour
1tbsp granulated Sweetener
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Eggs, beaten

For the Pumpkin Filling
450g pureed Pumpkin
1½tsp Ground Cinnamon
½tsp Ground Nutmeg
2tbsp granulated Sweetener
2 Eggs, beaten
2tbsp Quark

For the crust, mix all the crust ingredients and put into a small loose bottom cake tin (I used a 5” one) and then bake for 15mins or until it is cooked. Take out the oven and let it cool down but keep it in the tin.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together and mix until smooth and then spoon onto the crust and bake for another 30mins or until the top is slightly golden and doesn't wobble.

I topped with the sweetened quark, sprinkles (for 1 syn) and mini marshmallows (4 syns) Yummy!

Enjoy and thanks for reading xx