Pumpkin Coffee Loaf- Gifts from the Kitchen

I have a small collection of gift-giving cookbooks. Since lots of people like to give homemade gifts I will be posting some recipes from them. This recipe is a different version of pumpkin bread. It comes from a Better Homes and Gardens paperback, Gifts from Your Kitchen, 1976.

Pumpkin Coffee Loaf

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup chopped pumpkin seeds
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each. Stir in pumpkin and milk. Stir together dry ingredients. Add to pumpkin mixture. Beat 1 minute with electric mixer. Stir in seeds. Bake in greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan at 350 degrees 55 to 60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool. Wrap; store overnight. Makes 1

Szechwan-Style Chicken- Famous Brands Chicken & Poultry

This recipe is from a Famous Brands Chicken & Poultry cookbook published in 1985. It fits in with this time of year because it is a Libby's recipe and has pumpkin.

Szechwan-Style Chicken

1 can (16 oz.) Libby's solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 3 to 31/2 pound chicken, cut up
1/2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
Hot cooked rice
In large bowl,combine pumpkin, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and red peppers; mix well. Stir in water. Heat oil in large skillet. Add green pepper; saute 1 minute. Remove peppers with slotted spoon; add to pumpkin mixture. Brown chicken in oil that remains in skillet, using additional oil if needed; drain. Sprinkle nuts over chicken. Pour pumpkin mixture over chicken. Cover; simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender, basting occasionally with sauce. Add a little water to thin sauce, if needed. Spoon hot rice onto large platter. Arrange chicken pieces over rice. Spoon about 1 cup sauce over chicken. Serve with remaining sauce.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup- The No Time To Cook Book

This sound like a good pumpkin soup. It is from The No Time To Cook Book by Roslyn Beilly, 1969. The blurb: "If anyone had predicted before I discovered this recipe that I would rave about pumpkin soup, I'd have said he was crazy. But this soup is marvelous, and you should try it..."

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 tomato, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1 can (1 pound) pumpkin

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup cream or milk

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Add onion, green pepper, tomato, parsley, and thyme and cook until soft. Add pumpkin and chicken broth and simmer for a few minutes. Add cream or milk, salt, sugar, and nutmeg. Heat until piping hot. Serves 6