Getting children to eat vegetables is always a bit difficult, but if they are colorful and sweet-tasting vegetables then the work is half done. This is the case with the pumpkin for example, which is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and can also be cooked in numerous ways.
Perhaps we won't be able to convince a young palate with no appetite for velvety, roasted, and steamed vegetables, but with dumplings, meatballs, and chips we most likely will. Here are our suggestions!
Pumpkin gnocchi
Pumpkin gnocchi are delicious and very easy to cook. Of a beautiful orange color, they are prepared simply with pumpkin pulp and flour. Pumpkin pulp is obtained by simply cooking a cut and peeled pumpkin at 200° in a static oven for 40 minutes or an hour, depending on the size of the pieces or the whole pumpkin.
Delica pumpkin is the ideal one to go for as it has a very distinct taste and isn’t very watery. Pick one not too big, put it in the oven whole or sliced after simply washing it, and cook it for an hour. Once soft, peel it, remove the seeds, and use the pulp for the gnocchi. Just mix it with the flour and add a pinch of salt. About 500 g of cooked pumpkin pulp and 300 g of flour to serve 4 medium portions. Make gnocchi as normal and then enjoy them with a tasty topping: simply oil, or butter, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or delicious sauces if the children like them.
Pumpkin gnocchi are delicious, light and a very colorful first course.
Pumpkin Burger
Here is an idea for the main course or a single dish that will drive any child crazy. Who says no to a hamburger? Meat or pumpkin, who cares? No one will notice.
To prepare the veggie burger use 300 g of cooked and mashed pumpkin pulp and mix it with 100 g of boiled potatoes, 30 g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, 1 egg white, chopped rosemary, 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and a pinch of salt. Once the mixture is ready, form burgers and, if necessary, lightly bread them with more breadcrumbs to prevent them from breaking during cooking. You can cook them in a pan with a little oil or in the oven at 200° for about 20 minutes. Then fill soft sandwiches with them and season everything with some sauce.
Pumpkin burger, to accompany vegetable chips.
Pumpkin chips
To get super crispy chips the solution is a food dehydrator. Not everyone has this tool at home, but we can try to get the best possible result with the oven... or with the fryer! The important thing is to cut the pumpkin thinly with a mandolin and then dry them well with absorbent paper. When they have completely lost their water, place the slices on baking paper, season them with a drizzle of oil, and put them in the oven at 200° until they become crispy. It will take about 15 minutes. Same thing if you want to prepare them finger-shaped: first dry them properly and then cook them. You can also fry them of course!
Speaking of vegetable chips, here are the pumpkin chips.
Mashed Pumpkin
You can prepare breaded cutlets with the same dough as the burger but add more breadcrumbs in both the base and the breadcrumbs. What better accompaniment than mashed potatoes?
We prepare it with pumpkin and potatoes the classic way, by simply cooking 300 g of cooked pumpkin pulp with 300 g of boiled potatoes, and just enough milk to create a kind of cream. Add a little butter or oil, a little nutmeg for fragrance, and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The mashed potato is ready!
Soup maybe not, but pumpkin puree yes!
Pumpkin muffins
We conclude with a sweet recipe, perfect any time of the day: breakfast, school snack, and afternoon snack. Pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips are super soft, softer than the classic muffins, super moist, and self-indulgent delight. As usual, bake 230 g of peeled pumpkin. Wrap it in foil and bake at 200° for about 25 minutes. Once soft, let it cool and then blend. In the meantime, whisk 150 g of soft butter, 100 g of brown sugar, and 90 g of honey. Then add an egg and the pumpkin stirring again then finally a teaspoon of yeast, 200 g of 00 flour, plenty of cinnamon, if you like it, and a pinch of salt. The chocolate drops should first be floured to avoid falling to the bottom during cooking or keep them in the freezer for a while before adding them to the mixture. Fill a buttered and floured muffin mold or ramekins and bake at 180° for 25-30 minutes.
Pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips. No one will ever know that there are vegetables inside.
