Happy Halloween!
This year instead of making a Jack-O-Latern out of my pumpkin, I decided to bake it and see how many healthy things I could make for something that cost me only $2.50!
Firstly, you must cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. I was shocked how easy it was to cut right through my pumpkin compared to other squashes that I've worked with. Now I know why we carve orange pumpkins and not Butternut or Japanese (Kabocha) Pumpkins!!
De-seeding the pumpkin is much easier to do when it's cut in half vs. doing it through a small space on the top (as when we carve faces on them!). Lay each pumpkin half skin-side-up on a baking pan or sheet and add a few cups of water to the pan in order to prevent it from getting to dry. I baked them at 425 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Literally it's just that easy! Scoop out the flesh and puree with a food processor, blender or hand-mixer. Whenever a recipe calls for canned pumpkin, you can simply substitute with the pureed instead. Here's what you can do with your pumpkin:
1. Snack Time: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
** mix rinsed and dried pumpkin seeds with olive oil (1-2 Tbsp) and seasonings of your choice - chili powder, cumin, Mrs. Dash or salt free herb based seasoning, pepper or spice them up with chipotle or crushed red chili flakes. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes - enjoy!
2. Dinner Time: Pumpkin Turkey Chili
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Turkey-Chili/Detail.aspx
I'm going to take the advice from other recipe reviewers and add more spice, beans and extra veggies to make it my own. Instead of topping with the suggested sour cream and cheddar cheese, try 0% fat plain greek yogurt.
3. Lunch Time: Pumpkin Soup
This recipe received excellent reviews and has minimal ingredients. Perfect as a side to your salad or sandwich. I never use heavy cream so I will omit this and substitute a bit of the 0% fat plain yogurt and perhaps add some cinnamon or paprika for extra flavour!
4. Dessert Time: Pumpkin Bread
This appears to be the most popular pumpkin bread recipe. However, at 10g of fat per slice some easy modifications can be made to make it healthier. Start with cutting the oil in half, and substituting the remainder with unsweetened applesauce (you could even puree apples yourself if you have an abundance). In addition, cut the sugar from 4 cups to 2-3 cups or consider using alternative sweeteners such as agave syrup or maple syrup! To cut the fat even further you could consider cutting the eggs from 6 to 3, and use 3/4 cup of liquid egg whites.
Happy Baking!
