Post-Halloween Pumpkin Extravaganza

Katie Lee Joel Offers Recipes To Use Pumpkins In Vast Variety Of Dishes

(CBS)  Halloween is Friday.

But what do you do with all those pumpkins when the kids are done trick-or-treating?

Early Show contributor Katie Lee Joel shared ideas Monday on incorporating pumpkins into many recipes. And no, we don't mean pumpkin pie!

Among them: puree, pancakes, salad and pasta.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Making homemade pumpkin puree is easier than it sounds. Canned pumpkin is always a good substitute though. You can buy it at any market and with the economy the way it is it may be cheaper to by the can as opposed to buying a pumpkin.

1 (8 lb.) sugar pumpkin
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut top off pumpkin and reserve. Scrape out seeds (keep these for making snack mix!). Brush the inside of the pumpkin with butter. Place pumpkin in a foil-lined baking dish. Bake for 2 hours and allow to cool to touch. Pour out any extra liquid. Scoop out pulp and blend in a food processor. Chill and drain off any extra liquid before using.

Souffléd Pumpkin Pancake

I created this recipe one fall weekend morning when I was in the mood for something with pumpkin. I was almost out of flour, so pumpkin muffins were out of the question. This little experiment turned out to be fabulously light and delicious. Make one large pancake instead of many little ones, and everyone can take a bite!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pecan halves
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup buttermilk
11/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup pure pumpkin puree (homemade or storebought)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Confectioners' sugar
Pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Pour 3 tablespoons of the butter into a medium bowl and set aside. Add the brown sugar to the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir until the sugar begins to melt. Add the pecans and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the pecans to a small dish and set aside. Reserve the skillet for the pancake.In a small bowl mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

Add the egg yolks, buttermilk, and vanilla to the reserved melted butter and whisk until blended. Gradually whisk in the flour. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Set aside.In a very clean bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites until frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin batter. Carefully spoon the batter into the skillet. Sprinkle the top with the reserved pecans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.Dust the pancake with confectioners' sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup.

Pumpkin Seed Snack Mix

Save the pumpkin seeds from your jack-o-lantern carving to make this yummy snack mix! I like to use hollowed mini-pumpkins as serving bowls for the mix during cocktail hour.

9 cups Chex cereal
1/2 cup mixed salted nuts
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup garlic-flavored bagel chips
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, combine cereal, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and bagel chips. In the microwave, melt butter with worcesteshire and seasonings. Drizzle butter mixture over cereal and toss to evenly coat cereal. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

For more recipes, to to Page 2.

[sorestis]

Along with all the candy, pumpkin carving, decorating and dressing up in costumes...I know of a great way to celebrate Halloween before the thirty first of October. I am a teacher, and I like to read to the children all month long. Books about Fall, and why leaves change color and yes...Halloween stories too. Most books can become interactive. You can even bring one of those electric logs that lights up as if it were burning...everyone sits around a fake campfire with dimmed lights and tells stories! Here is one I wrote myself, enjoy it! Sherrie Orestis Just follow the link~
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2168831/halloween_poem.html?cat=42

[yikes25]

Harry is scary. Save your eyes and ears, don''t watch.

[sonogirlaz]

I bought a small 2 or 3 pound pumpkin to make puree for soup. I can''''t get any of the knives I have in my kitchen (two chef''''s knives and two Santokus) to out it open. What should I do?

I have actually used a drill to make small holes around a pumpkin and then was able to cut it open... Use power tools!

[piercetheval]

...and next week...101 RECIPES FOR PREPARING CROW...HOW TO SERVE IT ...AND HOW TO EAT IT!

[pepraskell]

I bought a small 2 or 3 pound pumpkin to make puree for soup. I can''t get any of the knives I have in my kitchen (two chef''s knives and two Santokus) to out it open. What should I do?

[nlderossi]

Love the receipe ideas. Greatly appreciate the help! Saw them on the show, but couldn''t write fast enough to get them all. CBS the best.