Recipes from Elizabeth Archer

These two great pumpkin themed recipes are from Mark and I's friend Elizabeth Archer. She is a great cook and a very knowledgeable "foodie". She's got street cred. I can't wait to try them out! Thanks Elizabeth! (check out her blog about traveling/living in Chile and Argentina, it's listed on the right hand side of the page.)

Curried Chicken Pumpkin Soup

1 lb chicken,
cubed1 3-5 lb sugar pumpkin
Chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium sized onion, diced
several cloves garlic
curry powder (Indian variety)
masala and/or turmeric
cumin
Cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine the cubed chicken with several tablespoons olive oil, a generous amount of curry powder, two teaspoons cumin and Cinnamon, a teaspoon each of garam masala and turmeric (optional, adds depth), and salt and pepper to taste. If you're into spicy foods, you can also add cayenne, your favorite hot sauce, or red pepper flakes (I always use the latter). Set aside to marinate.
Cut the pumpkin into wedges. Scoop out the seeds (reserve if you're into roasting them - incidentally, these same spices make for great roasted seeds). Arrange the slices flesh-up on a cookie sheet or in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with curry, cumin, cinnamon, and salt, then drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 375 for 25 minutes or until, you know, baked (i.e. a fork should go in easily). (Alternately, you can boil the pumpkin, spices and all.)
Let the pumpkin cool until you can touch it. If you're lucky, the skin will peel right off. If not, well, you'll just have to deal with it until you get it all. In a food processor, blender, or with a hand mixer, purée the pumpkin (you can add a little broth to make it easier).
When you add the garlic is up to you. It depends on how garlicky you like it. I often puré the raw garlic with the pumpkin. You can also chop and sautée it with the chicken, or add it at the very end for an extra kick. You can even do all three!
In a non-stick soup pot, sauté the onions on medium heat (in olive oil or butter) for a few minutes before adding the chicken. Once the chicken is halfway cooked, add the pumpkin mixture and one cup broth. Bring to a simmer, then add more broth until you're satisfied with the thickness. Let simmer for 20-30 more minutes so the flavors marry and the chicken cooks. Add fresh ground pepper at the very end. (Low-fat option: add a half cup of cream at the end, too.) Serve with crusty bread. Reheats nicely!

Perfect Pumpkin Dessert

This is super easy and incredibly delicious. Always a big hit at dinner parties.
1 3-4 lb sugar pumpkin
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
salt
vanilla ice cream

Directions:
Cut the pumpkin into 5-6 wedges and remove the seeds. In a large pot, arrange the wedges around each other like half-moons (so the flesh is touching the bottom of the pot). Add brown sugar, then water. Cover the pot and let simmer for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked through. Remove pumpkin and reserve the syrup. If you're lucky, the skin will peel right off. Sprinkle pumpkin with sea salt* and serve warm over vanilla ice cream. Offer syrup on the side for drizzling pleasure. (Note: this pumpkin-flavored syrup will keep in the fridge and is GREAT on breakfast foods!)*The salt is not optional in this recipe. Trust me, it's much better this way.