Pumpkin is a healthy and tasty product that gives dishes not only the aroma of ripe autumn, but also a delicious sunny shade. This vegetable goes well with so many products, it can be used to prepare vegetable casseroles and stews, side dishes for meat and fish, soups and salads. No less organically pumpkin fits into a wide variety of desserts. It is used to prepare the filling for pies, jams and preserves, sweet casseroles, soufflés, mousses and much more. It is difficult to find another product that would be as tasty in a spicy, salty and sweet form as a pumpkin.
Pediatricians claim that this vegetable is perfect for the children's menu. Pumpkin souffle will be a wonderful find for mothers of little gourmets. This dish will appeal to both older children and adults. And there are a huge number of recipe options. Try the simplest of them, and you can complement them at your discretion.
How to choose a pumpkin
The ripest, most fragrant and beautiful pumpkin is sold at the farmers market in September and October - during the harvest. But this unpretentious vegetable is perfectly stored, so you can easily find it on the shelves in the winter. In addition, there are early varieties - this vegetable ripens in the summer.
To prepare a delicious pumpkin souffle , the recipe of which does not contain sugar, choose a bright yellow vegetable. Orange and light yellow varieties are less sweet.
Pay attention to the condition of the peel. Softened areas may indicate product spoilage. In some stores you can buy pumpkin, cut into pieces. So you can make sure that the pulp is dense and without damage.
Preparation
Before you start making pumpkin soufflé, chop the vegetable into several large pieces. Cut off the skin - this can be done using a peeler. With a tablespoon, gently scrape the entire fibrous soft core with the seeds. By the way, if you immediately rinse them and put them out to dry, then you can fry them. Pumpkin seeds are also very healthy and tasty.
Simple Pumpkin Souffle Recipe
The easiest way to cook a delicate and magnificent treat according to the following recipe. Cut into pieces 100 g of pumpkin, bake in the oven until soft. Heat 40 g butter, mash and add a couple of tablespoons of flour. While stirring, add 150 ml of milk in parts. At the very end, sweeten to taste (usually 2 tbsp. Is enough).
Beat at high speed 2 protein with a little citric acid.
Mashed pumpkin. Pour the milk mixture into it, then the crushed yolks and mix. Then very carefully add the protein mass, wielding a spatula from top to bottom. Smear the molds with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour the mass over them and send the tins to a warm oven. Bake the souffle for about 20 minutes. Sufficient temperature 175 ° C. Before serving soufflé from pumpkin, you can dust with powdered sugar, cinnamon, cocoa. As a complement to it, cream or homemade custard will work wonderfully.
Pumpkin Souffle with Apples
Ripe fragrant pumpkin goes well with apples. Therefore, in many recipes this wonderful tandem is found. How to cook pumpkin souffle with apples?
We will need:
- peeled pumpkin - 200 g;
- butter - 20 g;
- apples - 2 pcs. medium or one large;
- ground cinnamon - half a coffee spoon;
- sugar - 1-1.5 tbsp. spoons;
- natural yogurt - 100 ml;
- gelatin - 5 g;
- water - 10 ml.
Peel the apples, cut into slices or cubes. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Melt the butter in a pan, send the apples to stew. After 5 minutes, when the apples let the juice and become soft, add cinnamon with sugar. In a pan with apples, load and pumpkin. Cover and simmer over low heat until soft. Time depends on the varieties of products, different ones will require different.
Then turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Then reload the components into the blender. First add about 30 ml of yogurt and beat until smooth, and then gradually add the rest of the yogurt without stopping whipping.
In a bowl, mix gelatin with water, leave for 5-7 minutes. Then mark the container in a water bath, warm, stirring occasionally. The gelatin mass will soon become liquid. Pour it in mashed potatoes gradually, constantly thoroughly whipping. An important point to keep in mind: the contents of the blender should always be warm, otherwise the formation of grains is inevitable. They will not only ruin the view - soufflé made of pumpkin and apples will harden badly. The resulting mass remains to be poured into a bowl and put in the refrigerator. After 2 hours, the air souffle will be ready and it can be served to the table.
A slow cooker to help
Clever technique will help to prepare a gentle pumpkin souffle very quickly. And the main thing is easy. Prepare the following ingredients:
- pumpkin - 200 g;
- semolina - 2 tsp;
- egg;
- medium-sized apple;
- sugar - depending on preferences, about one spoon;
- milk - 115 ml.
Boil the pumpkin in the "Vegetables" mode or its analogue (depending on the multicooker model), but not until fully cooked, but about half. You just need to stop the process earlier than the time settings.
Beat with a blender, make a smoothie. Pour milk into the resulting mass, pour semolina, stir. Put on fire and, stirring, bring to a boil. You can do this step both on the burner and in the multicooker bowl, if such a mode is provided.
Remove from heat, add grated apple. Break the egg carefully with a sharp knife, separate the protein and the yolk.
Whisk protein in a strong foam. Mash the yolk with sugar. Introduce the yolk-sugar mass into the apple-pumpkin base, stirring. Then add the protein mass.
Stir very carefully, not with a blender or mixer, but with a pastry shovel.
Fill the silicone molds with the resulting mass, install in the multicooker bowl. To cook pumpkin souffle in a slow cooker you need to use the “Steamed” mode for about half an hour.
Cottage cheese treat for kids menu
Pumpkin souffle, the recipe of which contains cottage cheese, is perfect for the diet of babies. You can use baked, blanched, or raw pumpkin. This affects not only the taste, but also the texture of the dish. If the baby is only getting used to heterogeneous food, it is better to bake the vegetable first until almost ready, this will give a more delicate structure.
Mash the baked pumpkin with a fork, and if you use raw, grate it. Add as much cottage cheese. For example, take 150 g of these ingredients. Pour into the mass 1 ground yolk from a large egg. Beat thoroughly with a blender, distribute in tins and send in the microwave for 5-7 minutes. You can bake pumpkin souffle for children and in the oven. If your baby appreciated the taste of this dish, you can cook its various variations, adding berries, raisins, pieces of dried apricots.
Add flavors
Pumpkin soufflé can be prepared with a variety of ingredients. To get a bright unusual dessert, add raisins, chopped prunes, chocolate drops, coconut flakes to the mass. Before serving, you can pour soufflé with jam, jam syrup, chocolate icing and garnish with marmalade slices or nuts.