Pumpkin Cheese Palacinkes
(pronounced palla-chinka)
My Grandma Domijan was a wonderful woman who LOVED to cook. Palacinkes were the replacement for pancakes in my Croatian Grandma's house, and one of my favorite childhood memories. They are kind of like a crepe. We filled them with a variety of things, but my favorite was just plain rolled up, hot off the griddle, with a little butter. Mmmm!!!! A second runner up for filling was just blueberry yogurt. PERFECTION!
If I had been old enough to appreciate it, I would have loved it filled with her homemade mulberry jam. The mulberries that she still climbed the tree for at age 89. Yes, she was busted by my cousin Helen...red handed, in the tree!!! She was a incredible Grandma, and is very missed, especially during the holidays. Many of her traditions will be passed on in our household, and I will share more recipes from her in the future!
Palacinke (makes about 8)
3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Pinch salt (this was my Grandma's
recipe, and she'd always say a
pinch!! - about 1/4 tsp)
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter or margarine
Filling:
1 lb (16 ounces or 2 cups) small-curd
cottage cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin, cooked and pureed
Garnishment:
Whipped Cream
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts
Palacinke:
Heat large frying pan on medium.
Mix eggs, milk, butter in large bowl.
Add sugar and mix. Whisk flour and salt into egg mixture and mix until smooth.
Set aside a few minutes while preparing
batter, then whisk again. Batter should be very thin.
Spray pan with no-stick cooking spray, or melt butter in pan. Pour just enough batter into pan to lightly cover pan. Rotate the pan so the batter spreads and covers entire bottom. Cook palacinke until the center bubbles up and a good test is to see if it slides in the pan. Flip palacinke and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from pan.
Filling:
In a bowl, mix cheese, pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until well blended. This mixture will be lumping with the curds of the cottage cheese. If a smooth consistency is desired, may place in blender and puree. Place entire mixture in saucepan and heat on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place filling in bowl to cool for a few minutes.
Take 1 palacinke and place in center of plate. Fill with desired amount of pumpkin mixture, and fold over each side of palacinke. Garnish with whipped cream and nuts, and serve. SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!
To make as a more a crepe filled entree, leave out sugar in batter. Fill with things like scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, and cheese. Or for lunch ideas, roll turkey and cheese and melt!!! Create your own tradition!!
Brie Pumpkin Mashed
Potatoes
6 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 cups raw pumpkin
1/2 milk
8 ounces Brie Cheese, rind
removed and cubed
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Peel and cube potatoes and
pumpkin. Place in boiling
water that slightly covers
tops of cubes. Reduce heat
to simmer and cook, covered,
20 minutes, or until tender.
Drain.
In a large bowl, mash the
potatoes and pumpkin
with milk, cheese, butter
salt, and pepper.
Garnish as desired. I used
Fresh Gourmet Crispy Red
Peppers, found in the salad
section of your grocery store.
You can also use fresh chives,
or anything your little heart
desires.
Creamy and yummy!!!
Start a new Thanksgiving
tradition with the addition
of these to your table this
year!!!
Roasted Pumpkin
Salsa
1 cup raw pumpkin, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely
chopped
2 cups favorite salsa
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss pumpkin with olive oil.
Roast pumpkin on pan in oven
for 15-20 minutes, or until done.
Use your favorite salsa. I used
Marketside Black Bean and Corn
Salsa, from HEB. Great color and
overall flavor. May add more
chopped jalapenos as desired.
Mix pumpkin, salsa, and cilantro
together in bowl.
Serve with your favorite chips, such
as the veggie chips that are shown
in picture.
I was feeling a bit guilty after the
decadent cheesecakes last night,
so I wanted to go light tonight!
ENJOY!!!
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake
with Caramel & Pecans
Crust:
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped vanilla
wafers
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp Butter or Margarine
Filling:
1 1/2 lbs (3-8 oz pkgs) cream
cheese
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup raw pumpkin, cooked
and pureed
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Topping:
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1/8 cup chopped pecans
For Crust: Preheat oven to
325 degrees F. Finely grind
cookies, pecan, sugar and
cinnamon in processor or
blender. Add melted butter
and blend until completely
mixed. Press crust mixture
into pre-greased cupcake
pans.
I like the silicone muffin pans
because they are really easy
to get the fragile cheesecakes
out of without breaking them.
This one,
by Wilson,
would
make the
cutest Christmas
tree cheesecakes for the
holidays. Just put crust
filling in the trunk area,
and sprinkle with
cinnamon and nuts!
CheeseCake Directions:
Using electric mixer, beat
cream cheese and sugar in
a large bowl until creamy.
Add pumpkin, sour cream,
pumpkin pie spice, ground
cloves and beat until well
combined. Add eggs, one
at a time, and beat just
until combined.
Pour filling into crust, almost
to top, and bake at 325 for
50-60 minutes, or until tester
comes out clean.
Transfer cheesecakes to rack
and cool for 10 minutes.
Invert on plate, and quickly
stand right side up. Spoon
caramel sauce into the center
of each cake. Be liberal and
allow it to goo down the side.
Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Oooey, gooey and yummy!
May also be made
crustless!
Easy-No Roll
Pumpkin Gingerbread Men
I really wanted to make
pumpkin gingerbread men last
night for a fun treat for the kids,
but the thought of cleaning up
another pumpkin mess made me
want to shoot myself!! And after
finding pumpkin on my bathroom
wall last night, I decided to
give everyone a break...no roll
pumpkin gingerbread men!!!!
It was one of my favorite holiday
memories as a child...baking and
decorating gingerbread with my
Mom. Who knows what those silver
almost, inedibly hard, round balls
were that we used for buttons, but
the memory is still clearly one of
my high points!! Thanks Mom!!
3 cups all-purpose flour
(may use self-rising flour if you
want taller, cake-like cookies)
1 cup Pumpkin (ok, you can use
the canned for this one!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Use baking pan like this
picture of Wilton's.
Mix flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and baking soda in large mixing bowl. Cream sugar and
butter together with mixer in separate bowl. Using hand mixer, slowly add molasses, pumpkin and egg. Mix well.
Stir butter mixture into flour mixture
and mix well. Beat with hand mixer
on medium about 10 seconds.
Fill pre-greased pans 3/4 full and
bake at 350 degrees F for 8-12
minutes. Do not overcook, they
should be soft!!! Remove from
pan after 8 minutes. Cool and
decorate as desired.
You don't have to make the icing
from scratch, or use a cake
decorating piping set for these.
I used Pillsbury Creamy Supreme
classic white...super easy! Place
icing in a baggie, and twist top till
icing is in one corner. Cut tip of
baggie and use like piping bag!!!
Fun memories to last a lifetime!
My children's first!!!!
Potato & Pumpkin
Salad
2 cups raw pumpkin, diced
4 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes,
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Chop potatoes into small cubes.
Place potatoes in pot of lightly
salted water. Bring to boil, and
cook until tender, about 20
minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in pan, and
saute pumpkin on medium heat
5-8 minutes, or until golden and
tender.
In small bowl mix ranch,
mayonnaise, and cheddar cheese.
Place eggs, potatoes, pumpkin,
and bacon bits in large bowl.
Toss until blended. Salt and
pepper to taste. Add mayonnaise
mixture and blend thoroughly.
May be served slightly warm
(which I prefer) or cold. Delicious!
Grandma Domijan's
String Bean and Potato Salad
with Pumpkin
4 medium potatoes, washed and cut into
1 inch cubes
3 cups string beans, trimmed
2 cups raw pumpkin, cut into 1/2 inch
cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil, or "oleo"
Place the potatoes in a pot, and fill with
several inchs of water. Bring to boil, and
cook for 20 minutes. Drain, salt & pepper
to taste. Set aside.
Either steam string beans for 8 minutes
in boiling water, or purchase steam in
bag green beans in fresh, or frozen
section of grocery...already trimmed
and washed!!!
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in frying pan. Add
Pumpkin, and saute over medium heat
for about 5 minutes, or until lightly
browned.
Mix red wine vinegar and oil in small
bowl. In large bowl, place potatoes,
string beans, garlic, and pumpkin.
Add oil mixture and toss until well
blended. May be served warm or cold!
Super Easy Pumpkin Soup
4 cups raw pumpkin
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg cream cheese
Bring chicken broth to boil in medium pot.
Add pumpkin, garlic, pepper, and salt.
Reduce heat to low and cook, covered,
for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir
in cream cheese, and place in blender.
Puree for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
Serve hot. For an extra yummy treat,
place seasoned bread crumbs in center
and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top
liberally.
Ahhhh...it doesn't get any better than
this on a chilly night! The cream cheese
gives it some protein, and makes it a
little less orange for the picky toddlers!!
Please do NOT try this soup with canned
pumpkin!!! I tried it the other night, and
blaaaaahhhh!!! The organic canned
pumpkin was not a winner!!! Use fresh
pumpkin, if possible, for that almost
sweet butternut squash flavor with the
cream cheese. My confession of the day:
if I'm in a hurry and really don't feel like
cleaning the kitchen after I cook, I
satisfy my a craving for squash with Lean
Cuisine's Butternut Squash Ravioli...
veges, squash, nuts, creamy, cheesy...
mmmmmmmmmmm!!!! You have to try
it before you judge!!! You'll be pleasantly
surprised!!!
Stuffed Peppers
with Poblano & Pumpkin
4 whole peppers, your choice of colors,
(I used a trio:yellow, red, and orange)
halved and seeded
1 cup raw pumpkin, finely chopped
1/2 large Poblano pepper, seeded and
finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small zucchini squash, finely chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup white rice
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup Roasted Red Pepper and tomato
soup (by Pacific Natural Foods, in
soup section of grocery store) or 1
cup of your favorite tomato sauce.
Salt & pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook rice, using chicken broth in replace-
ment of water, for 20 minutes, or until
done. Heat olive oil in pan on medium
heat. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms,
zucchini, pumpkin, and poblano pepper.
Saute until tender. Mix pumpkin mixture
with rice and tomatoes. Season with salt.
Slice peppers in half and stuff each with
rice mixture. Place in lightly greased pan
or dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1
hour, or until slightly browned on top.
Spoon Red pepper soup over top of
each, or use your favorite tomato
sauce. Scrumptious!!
Pumpkin Upside Down Cakes
with Sugar Cookie Eggnog Pudding
1 cup Sugar Cookie Eggnog (found this
in the grocery store and it inspired my
entire recipe)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (yes, had to try)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick or 8 Tbsp butter or margarine
3 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and
flour 12 mini bundt cake pans or muffin
pans.
In large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking
soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg,
cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
In separate bowl, using mixer at medium
speed, cream butter until smooth. Slowly
add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the
eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well after each.
Add milk and vanilla, then dry ingredients
and beat until well blended.
Spoon the batter into the mini bundt or
muffin pans, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 350
degrees for 16-19 minutes, or until cake
tester comes out of center clean. Cool
cupcakes for 10 minutes.
Remove from pans and invert on plate.
Filling:
1 box instant vanilla pudding
2 cups sugar cookie eggnog
Prepare according to package instructions
with using the eggnog in replacement of
the milk. Cool in fridge for 20 minutes.
If using regular cupcakes, cut a hole out
of the top center of the cake. If bundt pan,
there's already a prepared hole present.
Spoon pudding into center of cupcakes.
Garnish as desired. Serve!!!!
Pumpkin & Turkey
Croque Monsieur
4 thin slices of raw pumpkin in your bread
slices' shape, and lightly salted
4 thick slices french bread
8 thin slices Turkey Ham, this is in the deli
section and is turkey that is chopped &
formed to look like ham (it was one of
my Dad's favorites, and I never really
found a perfect recipe for it...till now!)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
8 slices swiss cheese
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1/2 tsp mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Or may
use Toaster oven at this setting.
Heat olive oil in frying pan. Saute
pumpkin slices on medium low heat
for about 4 minutes each side, or until
slightly browned on each side, and
cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat
and set aside.
Mix mayonnaise and mustard. Place
slices of bread on baking sheet. Spread
evenly with mayonnaise. Place two slices
of Turkey Ham on each slice of bread.
Place pumpkin on top of each ham slice.
Split parmesan cheese evenly in 4
amounts and sprinkle on top of pumpkin.
Top with swiss cheese slices until top
fully covered with cheese. Place in oven
and bake for 20 minutes, or until slightly
browned and bubbly on top. Serve hot!
Ooooooh, so delectably crunchy and melty, gooey cheesy!!!!
