This extremely simple pumpkin recipe gives you an unconventional way to use pumpkin. The ingredients may be minimal, but the flavor definitely isn’t lacking.

I love pumpkin. I love to bake with it, cook with it, and I always have one can stashed away in my pantry at all times. However, I rarely actually use it. I think it’s because pumpkin is associated with Fall, and I hate Fall because it means Summer is over. I usually just live in denial that the days are getting shorter and I need a coat every time I leave the house. And that one can of pumpkin in my pantry? I’m afraid to use it. What if I’ve used up my only can of pumpkin but I want to make pumpkin bread before September and the stores haven’t received their pumpkin shipment yet?? Total catastrophe, I tell ya.

Anyway, you all know how much I hate to waste food, so this recipe started with a botched cashew yogurt recipe. I took my cashew base and just added pumpkin and some spices. Feel free to take the heat up a notch by adding more paprika or even some chili powder. I didn’t have any garlic on hand, but I would have thrown in a couple cloves if I had them.

After blending everything in the Vitamix, I had a super creamy, almost whipped sauce. I tasted it a few times and added a little more salt and paprika until I had the flavor I wanted. The recipe below starts with minimal salt and paprika since you can’t exactly subtract spices! Keep adding about ½ teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired sauce.

Boil some pasta or rice, pick a green vegetable, and top with red pepper flakes. I added broccoletti, but I think some purple onion would be a great addition. Peas and zucchini/yellow squash would also pair well.

Enjoy!

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Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo

This extremely simple pumpkin recipe gives you an unconventional way to use pumpkin. The ingredients may be minimal, but the flavor definitely isn’t lacking.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews soaked in water the longer the better and overnight if possible
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• Juice of 1 lemon about 2T
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 t olive oil
• 1 t paprika
• 1 t salt and pepper
• Optional: 2 cloves of garlic
• Red pepper flakes for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Instructions:

1. Put everything except for the red pepper flakes in a high-speed blender and give it a whirl.

2. Taste to determine if you want to add more salt or paprika.
3. Cook some pasta or rice, pick a green vegetable, and top with red pepper flakes.

This simple pesto recipe is a good way to rescue your tired-looking greens. Pick any nuts or seeds, throw in some nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and garlic, and you’ve got yourself a quick and delicious spread. Try it on sandwiches or stir it into pasta, farro, or grain bowls.

I have a confession – I’ve never been a huge kale lover. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll definitely eat it, but if spinach or mixed greens are a choice for a salad base, I’ll always choose one of those over kale. As one very wise woman puts it, “Kale just multiples in your mouth.” She couldn’t be more right.

You can make pesto with just about anything, so don’t feel confined to kale and arugula. I just chose these two greens because those were the wilty greens in my fridge. I used sunflower seeds this time, but you can choose any nuts or seeds you want. I’ve made pesto with almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, cashews, and hemp seeds, and every variation has turned out great.

The measurements don’t need to be exact, so just start dumping into your food processor.  If you are trying to ward off vampires, throw in more garlic. If you have a lot of tired-looking greens, throw them all in; you don’t have to stick to just two cups of greens. If you prefer a more tangy sauce, juice an extra lemon. You can also mix and match your nuts and seeds. I promise you – it’s pretty hard to mess up pesto!

I used chickpea pasta for my protein, but you can also throw in some chickpeas or cannellini beans if you prefer to use regular pasta or zoodles. Some other ideas to beef up your meal are roasted tomatoes, asparagus, peas, sundried tomatoes, or zucchini.

Remember, don’t feel confined to these ingredients. Find something green, add some seeds/nuts, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast, and BAM, you’ve got yourself some pesto.

What’s your favorite pesto variation?

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Kale and Arugula Pesto

This simple pesto recipe is a good way to rescue any tired-looking greens. Pick any nuts or seeds, throw in some nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and garlic, and you’ve got yourself a quick and delicious spread. Try it on sandwiches or stir it into pasta, farro, or bowls.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 c kale
• 1 c arugula
• ¼ c sunflower seeds or any nut
• ¼ c nutritional yeast
• 1 T olive oil or water + more to thin
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 T lemon juice about 2 small lemons
• ¼ t each salt and pepper

Instructions

Instructions:

1. Add everything to a food processor and give it a whirl.
2. If it’s a little too thick, add more oil or water.