Kate from Soupasana and I were recently talking about the sizes of Pumpkin Puree Cans and those are huge (540ml), so I've been trying to use it all up and I finally succeeded!! I've been looking for smaller cans for the last little while, but with no luck; although in my search for them I actually found much bigger cans. And I mean much bigger. I think if I were to buy them, I'd turn into a pumpkin.

I had a little bit of pumpkin puree left after making Pumpkin, Garlic and Chili Bread and "Pumpkin Pie" Bruleed Oatmeal and every time I opened my fridge it was looking at me and pleading to be used. First, I wanted to use it in Pumpkin Oatmeal again, but mornings are frantic with me trying to get ready for work and not be too late. I entertained the thought of making Pumpkin Lentil Soup, but the weather here in Toronto was really hot and eating a hot soup didn't sound like a good idea. Finally, I figured it out - Pumpkin Pancakes! I had some soy milk in my fridge which I wanted to use up, so after having to use that I figured that I might as well try to make the pancakes vegan. I completely made up this recipe and up until I tried the first pancake I was not sure if it would work. Oh my, those were really good!!! They had this characteristic yeasty after-taste which I adore because I decided to be fancy and used yeast as a leavening agent instead of baking powder. Apple sauce and Pumpkin made the pancakes fruity and Bran made them taste a little bit like Bran muffins, so they reminded me of dessert.

for 15-18 small pancakes

• All-purpose flour - 2/3 cup
• White rice flour - 1/3 cup
• Bran - 1/4 cup
• Brown sugar - 2 tablespoons
• Dry yeast - 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• Pumpkin puree - 1/4 cup
• Apple Sauce - 1/2 cup
• Soy milk - 1 cup
• Oil - 1 tablespoon + more for the pan

- In a large bowl whisk together both flours, sugar, bran, salt and yeast.
- Warm the milk to about 40C (body temperature).
- Add warm milk to dry ingredients and mix.
- Add pumpkin puree, apple sauce and mix well.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Fill the sink with hot tap water, place the bowl with batter into the hot water and let stand for about 1-1.5 hours, until the batter become light and very fluffy.
- Whisk in the oil.
- Brush a non-stick pan with some oil and heat.
- Drop about one tablespoon of batter onto the hot pan for each pancake and cook 2-3 minutes on low-medium heat until bubble begin to appear on the surface of the pancakes.
- Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve with maple syrup.

Comments:

- Baking powder can be used instead of yeast and in this case there's no need to leave the batter to rise for an hour in hot water. I still urge you try them with yeast as the flavour is very different from normal pancakes.
- More sugar can be added if they are not served with maple syrup or jam.

My inspiration for this dish came from my friend who desperately needed to use up all the canned pumpkin and started adding it practically everywhere. The combination of oatmeal and pumpkin intrigued me to the point that I was thinking about it everyday for about a week before I finally bought some canned pumpkin and decided to try it out. The rest just came together easily since it was a no-brainer for me that pumpkin should be paired with classic Pumpkin Pie spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. The final component, or maybe it's better to call it a technique, was a spontaneous decision. I've had my Brûlée torch for quite some time and only used it twice in the last few years. I also thought that the crunch of hard, caramelized sugar would pair nicely with the soft texture of oatmeal. The result was fantastic, warm and satisfying oatmeal that can easily double as a dessert. I know it's a strange choice to use those fall flavours in May, but the temperature dropped to +5 here in Toronto over the weekend and it really felt more like autumn than spring.

For 1 large serving

• Rolled oats - 1/2 cup
• Soy milk - 3/4 cup
• Canned pumpkin puree - 1/2 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1/4 teaspoon
• Cinnamon - 1/4 teaspoon
• Ground dry ginger - 1/8 teaspoon
• Nutmeg - a pinch
• Ground cloves - a pinch
• Salt - a pinch
• Dark brown suger - 1 + 2 teaspoons

- In a small pot, whisk together the milk and pumpkin puree.
- Add all the spices and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Heat the mixutre.
- Add the oatmeal and cook whicking occasionally for about 7-10 minutes until the oatmeal is soft and the liquid is absorbed.
- Pour the cooked oatmeal into a bowl and spread the remaining 2 teaspoons of brown sugar on top. Torch the sugar until it hardens. Alternatively, place the bowl under a broiler for couple of minutes to melt and caramelize the sugar.

Comments
- Regular milk or any other type of non-dairy milk can be used in this recipe. Water can also be used.
- Use the spices according to your taste. I don't like cloves too much and next time I am going to omit that spice.
- Canned pumpkin can be substituted for normal pumpkin, which should be baked and processed in a blender.

I used to stay away from Coconut Milk. Whenever I saw a recipe with this ingredient I immediately stopped reading it. And right now I can't even think of a reason why I didn't like coconut milk so much. Maybe I tried something with it and didn't like it, or maybe it was just an idea of "milk" made from coconut. But a few months ago I tried a soup that had that ingredient in it and I liked it! Since then I've been waiting... Waiting for that perfect recipe to come along where I could explore my new found curiosity about coconut milk. And a couple of weeks ago I got my chance. I was leafing through my first ever cookbook (not even a book, just a tiny little borchure) and there it was - an ideal recipe. How good was it? I made it twice in five days and I am planning on making it again and again and again. So, here I give you this amazing soup!!

recipe from Fast Family Meals

for 4-6 servings

• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Onion, finely chopped - 1
• Leek, finely chopped - 1 small
• Pumpkin (or Butternut Squash), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes - 500 g
• Orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes - 350 g
• Vegetable stock - 1 litre
• Light coconut milk - 270 ml can
• Fresh coriander leaves and whole leaves to garnish - 3 tbsp chopped
• Salt, pepper to taste

- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. - Cook the onion and leek for 3 minutes, or until soft.
- Stir in the pumpkin, orange sweet potato, add the stock, then cover and bring to boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Mash roughly with a potato masher.
- Stir in the coconut milk and chopped coriander
- Season to taste with salt and pcracked black pepper
- Ladle into serving bowls, sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with crusty bread

Comments

- The recipe promises that it's 200 cal per serving if used ofr 6 portions.
- Also, coconut milk can be substituted with cream or even extra stock, but I highly recommend trying this version. It's filling, slightly sweet and oh, so delicious.

I don't cook with pumpkin too much, but I'm hoping to change that. Adding this tasty vegetable to a pancake batter not only provides great colour and taste, but also counts as a vegetable serving. Hmmm... if all the vegetables came in such tasteful packages, I'd definately eat more of them.

recipe from Nigella Christmas

makes around 30 pancakes

• Eggs - 2
• Butter milk - 375 ml (+ more if the batter is too thick)
• Pumpkin puree - 1 can (400 g)
• Flour - 250 g
• Sugar - 3 tablespoons
• Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
• Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• Oil - 1 table spoon plus more for frying

- Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend for a few minutes until a thick batter forms. You might need to add more buttermilk if it's too thick.
- Alternatively, in a bowl whisk eggs with butter milk until foamy, add the pumpkin puree and mix. Add the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and mix with a spatula.
- Fry the pancakes on a lightly oiled skillet until the bubbles start to pop on the batter, turn the pancakes and fry for 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Comments

- These pancakes can be made a day ahead. Keep them refrigerated and warm in 325F (170C) oven for 20-30 minutes.