Cicero: Squash a good substitute for pumpkin

I cannot find canned pumpkin anywhere. Most people only use pumpkin at Thanksgiving, but I make pumpkin waffles for my dad for Father's Day. They've been his favorite since I made them for him as a little girl.

- D.L.R.

Alas, too much rain fell for too many summers in Illinois, where 95 percent of the nation's canning pumpkins are grown, and the Great Pumpkin Shortage will be with us until a new crop is harvested in the fall.

You can bid for canned pumpkin on eBay or buy it on Amazon, but the smart thing to do is substitute cooked and puréed butternut squash, calabaza (West Indian pumpkin) or sweet potatoes.

You can find cooked and puréed squash in the frozen vegetable section. It's watery, so thaw it in a strainer lined with coffee filters or paper towels and let it stand until the excess liquid has drained.

To make your own, cut open a squash, discard the seeds, cut it into chunks and cook it in water to cover until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, discard the skin and puree or mash the flesh. Firm it up by straining as described above.

Sweet potatoes have quite a different flavor, but would be fine in a waffle or bread recipe that requires just a cup or two. Simply microwave a pierced sweet potato or two until soft, scoop out the flesh and measure.

SPICED PUMPKIN WAFFLES

You may substitute 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices.

21/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

11/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl. In a second bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin, sugar, butter and vanilla. Gradually beat the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. Bake in a greased and heated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 318 calories, (26 percent from fat), 9 g fat (5 g saturated, 3 g monounsaturated), 124 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 49 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 496 mg sodium.

Do you have a spicy peanut sauce recipe? There were nine ingredients in the recipe I had, including peanut butter, scallions, soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and perhaps cilantro.

- Sabra Reichardt

The very best peanut sauce recipe I've tried - and there have been many - is one from a 1994 column that was furnished by Ratan Tata of Bruzzi's in North Miami Beach, Fla. The sauce is wonderful as a dip for kebabs or pot stickers or as a sauce for pad Thai or pasta salad.

BRUZZI’S THAI PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Reducing the amount of oil to 2 tablespoons would eliminate about 75 calories per serving.

Peanut sauce (see recipe)

1 pound linguine

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

6 tablespoons olive or canola oil

3/4 cup julienne (matchstick-sliced) carrots

3/4 cup julienne zucchini

3/4 cup julienne summer squash

1/2 cup white wine

2 bunches ci

Comment on "Cicero: Squash a good substitute for pumpkin"