Pumpkin Hummus and Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Sunday, October 21 and it is unseasonably frigid due to blustery winds and a high temperature of 40 degrees.  It took less than a minute outside to decide today would be an indoor day.  I ran back inside and decided it was good day to use up vegetables I had previously frozen, especially the bag of frozen  cooked mashed winter quash in 1 cup scoops from last winter.  It was either pie pumpkin or hubbard squash - one of the sweeter types of winter squash.

My first idea was to make pumpkin soup, but that is too easy and not very imaginative.  Instead, I made a paleo pumpkin bread and pumpkin hummus (no chickpeas).  As I type this post, I am eating the hummus with celery and the last orange pepper from the garden (with an apple cider and selzer drink).   The hummus is amazingly good.  If Phil doesn't get home soon, there will be none left for him.  The pumpkin bread will be paired with the jar of homemade pumpkin maple butter that Michelle brought last weekend.  I'll try to wait until tomorrow to try the pumpkin bread.  We'll see how that works out.

Pumpkin Hummus

• 3/4 cup cooked mashed pumpkin 
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 TBSP tahini
• 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt

Whirl all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Chill in fridge for about an hour for flavors to develop.  Serve with colored peppers, celery, and other crunchy vegetables, such as radishes and kohlrabi.  I ate it with celery and the last of an orange pepper. I think Phil will enjoy it with cauliflower florets and kohlrabi.

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

I looked at quite a few recipes on line and decided Dr. Axe's recipe made the most sense, although I added more baking soda and spices and also added chopped walnuts and raised oven temp to 350.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use coconut oil to prepare loaf pan.

• 1 cup almond flour
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda (I raised to 1 tsp)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (did not use, instead added 1/4 to 1/2  tsp each of ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg)
• 3–4 eggs (I used 3 jumbo eggs)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¾ cup pumpkin (mashed)
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Combine first 6 dry ingredients in a small bowl.  (I sifted to get lumps out of almond flour)
2. In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs, then the maple syrup, then the pumpkin, and last the melted coconut oil.
3. Stir the dry mix into the wet mixture. Stir in walnuts.  Will look too wet but in a minute it will dry up.
4. Put mixture into loaf pan and bake 45-55 minutes. (At 45 minutes, it seemed cooked, but dented in the middle when pressed, so baked it another 7 minutes)

Inspiration: https://draxe.com/recipe/gluten-free-pumpkin-bread/