Desserts featuring Pumpkin ~ easy sweet treats

Pumpkin blog posts, Take-2: It's that time of year again ~ Pumpkin Time!   And I've got the craving, big time.  I've been looking back through my old blog posts that featured pumpkin, and thought I'd corral some of them into 'food categories'.  This time I'm showcasing my pumpkin dessert posts...just in case you might have missed them the first time around. :)   If you're so inclined, click on the original blog post links to see why these recipes still make this pumpkin-loving-gal so happy! 

Spiced Pumpkin Dip with Ginger Snaps

Pumpkin Fudge-Blondies

Boozy Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters

2~Ingredient Pumpkin Pie Mousse


Pumpkin Dessert-Flavored Smoothies ~ Meatless Monday

I've been having a lot of hits on the blog lately for the keyword 'pumpkin'.  So, here are a couple of pumpkin dessert-flavored smoothie recipes that I've posted about in the past.  They're good enough to share again, just in case you missed them the first time around.  :)  Smoothies are one of my favorite ways to enjoy this festive, fall fruit, especially for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.  Click on the links to see the recipes.  Happy Meatless Monday! 

Pumpkin Cheesecake High Protein Smoothie


Pumpkin Pie Smoothies ~ 2-Ways


 

Baking with Pumpkin ~ special treats for breakfast, snack or dessert time

It's that time of year again ~ Pumpkin Time!   And I've got the craving, big time.  I've been looking back through my old blog posts that featured pumpkin, and thought I'd corral some of them into 'food categories'.  Along the line of ~ baking; soups; Mexican; desserts...just in case you might have missed them the first time around. :)   If you're so inclined, click on the original blog post links to see why these recipes still make this pumpkin-loving-gal so happy! 

Cranberry-Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies

Pumpkin Flax Breakfast Cookies

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies

Zucchini Spiced Pumpkin Oat Bread

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze


Quick Tropical Piña Colada Pudding


I was cleaning out the fridge the other day and found a lonely cup of crushed pineapple that needed using up.  I turned it into the star of a 'doctored up' instant pudding dessert.  The pudding was a lovely soft-set texture that we really liked.  We all enjoyed the 'tropical island' flavor combo of the pineapple, coconut and banana.  I just love getting creative with leftovers, especially when they turn out tasting this good ~ Enjoy!

Quick Tropical Piña Colada Pudding
serves 3~4

Ingredients
  • one small box of Banana Cream Jello instant pudding (sugar-free or regular)
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 small banana, sliced thin
  • 1/2 tsp coconut extract (optional)
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut, for topping
  • 4 vanilla wafers cookies, crushed (or you favorite kind)
  • whipped cream, for topping (optional)
Directions
Mix the ~ instant pudding, crushed pineapple, skim milk, sliced banana & coconut extract in a medium bowl until the powdered pudding is smooth & creamy.  Refrigerate pudding until set.  Serve the pudding topped with the shredded coconut, whipped cream and crushed cookies.


Loaded BBQ Vegetarian Sloppy Joes ~ Meatless Monday


Here is a quick meatless lunch that I like to make.  I call it my ~ Loaded BBQ Vegetarian Sloppy Joes.  It's super easy to do.  As an added bonus, it's quick to make, so I can get lunch on the table in almost no time flat.  My guys like it and we never have any leftovers, so I know it's good.  

I just add some of my favorite BBQ sauce (Bull's-Eye Original) to some ready-to-eat 'beef' TVP crumbles and heat it up in the microwave.  I then layer the sauced 'meat' mixture on a bun with ~ a slice of cheese, a few rings of thin sliced onion, a squiggle of yellow mustard and a couple of jalapenos.  Easy-Peasy!  It's a simple way to satisfy my meat and spicy food craving, all in one shot.  :)   Happy Meatless Monday!



Sherry Wine Simmered Chicken ~ inspired by the classic dish Chicken Fricassee

For this dinner I was inspired by the classic, simmered Chicken Fricassee, a la Julia Child.  It's a pretty easy way to make chicken and I can make a lot of different meals with the leftovers.  From cold chicken, to sandwiches, to casseroles, to soup ~ it's all good!

One of my favorite ways to cook a whole chicken is to simmer it in a big pot on the stove. It's done simply ~ I just use water with a variety of herbs and spices.  Sometimes I'll include a little wine or veggies, just to up the flavor-ante and change-it-up a bit.  I'll make it with a whole chicken or with chicken parts, just depends on what's for sale at the market that week...or what's in my freezer on the day I want to make it.

This time I simmered the whole chicken with ~ a big glug of sherry, sliced onions, celery stalks with leaves, fresh parsley sprigs, garlic cloves, whole pepper corns, cloves, and a few bay leaves.

The chicken goes into a big pot; I add enough cold water to cover the bird; toss in whatever ingredients I'm using that day; bring it up to a boil; then reduce back down to a simmer; and let it gently bubble away.  When simmering chicken, I just wing it (heehee, no pun untended:) in regards to the amount of ingredients that I throw in, mostly going with how much I have on hand and what I think will taste good.


I let the chicken simmer for about an hour, carefully turning it over every 15 minutes.  How long I cook it really depends on how big the bird is and if I'm using a whole chicken or just parts. (I wrote about how much I like to make poached/simmered chicken thighs on this blog post)  I like to use the Perdue Chicken site for a handy reference for the correct cooking temperature for cooking/eating chicken.  I use my instant read thermometer to check the bird and when it's at the correct temp, we're good to go.  :)


We just cut it up in the pot and serve it with veggie sides.  I usually like to serve the breast the first night and then I make different dishes from the leftovers ~ the next night or later in the week.

I served this meal with a mushroom gravy and steamed veggies ~ YUM!

I can get a lot of meals out of preparing a chicken like this.  The remaining chicken might be cut into pieces and coated with BBQ sauce for another dinner; or maybe I'll shred it for chicken sandwiches or for use in a casserole; I save the broth and make soup; and you can't beat eating a cold chicken leg for lunch.  :)


Of all the ways I cook chicken, I think this has become my favorite way of preparing it.  I can really make my food budget go so much farther when I make chicken this way instead of baking it.  The meat seems more tender, there is less shrinkage and I get the added bonus of having a pot of flavorful chicken broth when I'm done.  I routinely get 12+ meals out of one bird this way ~ from the first slices of breast meat, to using the last bits in a chicken soup ~  chicken made this way just keeps giving.  A $6 bird becomes a cheap way to feed my family when I make it this way, and I'm all for that!




Blueberry-Rhubarb Grunt


Blueberry-Rhubarb Grunt ~ Hmmm... the word 'grunt', it sure is a funny sounding name for a dessert, but it really does taste good.  I kinda, sorta made this recipe...I just fudged it a bit.  I did actually follow the recipe/ingredients for the blueberry fruit part....except that I added a handful of chopped rhubarb.  And...instead of the regular 'topping' recipe part, I used a 'just-add-water' pancake mix as the 'dumpling' base.  And then...I just added water, a bit of sugar, vanilla extract & cinnamon to it until it was a 'dumpling drop-able' consistancy.  But after all that, I went back to following the recipe directions. (see, just a few minor detours :)    It was a dessert that cooked on the stove top as we ate our dinner, and it was ready to enjoy, just as we finished our meal.  We devoured it quickly...with no dessert leftovers hanging around here that night.  That's always the sign of a good dessert in my book, no matter what recipe you may (or may not) follow.  tee hee  :)


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