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In Season Eats – Power of Pumpkin

November 05, 2015
by Natalie Bernacchi
In Season Eats – Power of Pumpkin

With Halloween already past us (I know, CRAZY right?!?), you probably have an abundance of leftover pumpkins and not sure what to do with them. If you’re anything like me, you stocked up on big ol’ pumpkins for carving and an array of small and mini pumpkins for decorating the house!In Season Eats

Although pumpkins are still absolutely acceptable for decorating this time of year, some of the varieties are put to even better use when cooking and baking for your fall dinner parties or gatherings!

I honestly can’t think of anything better than hosting a fall dinner party and using ingredients that are in season and readily available. Especially with autumn, it’s really nice to have warm, comforting foods without all of the extra calories and unhealthy additives!

The oversized pumpkins that you would typically use for pumpkin carving, are generally best for exactly that purpose – pumpkin carving and also for decorating! The itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny pumpkins are also best used for decorating accents around the house. However, the in-between sized pumpkins are where it’s at!!! These are also known as “Sugar Pumpkins” or “Pumpkin Pie Pumpkins” and they are great for cooking and baking!

Pumpkins are a low-calorie food and are also loaded with a ton of powerful vitamins and antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber!  By using the entire pumpkin, including the seeds, you can reap even more health-boosting benefits! Pumpkin seeds are chock-full of healthy fats, fiber and tryptophan! Although tryptophan is known for giving you the ZZzzzZZZzzz’s after having turkey (most likely because of actually overeating the turkey), it plays an important role in producing serotonin, which in turn makes you happy happy happy!

So with all those crazy good health benefits, what’s not to love about everything the pumpkin has to offer! Here are some fun ways to put those decorations you have around the house to use!

Savory Pumpkin Soup 
In Season Eats

warm up with a cream bowl of soup

Yield 8 Servings

Ingredients:

  •       4 Cups Pumpkin Flesh, cooked  (from 2 small Sugar Pumpkin)
  •       1 TBS Olive Oil
  •       2 Garlic Cloves
  •       2 tsp. Sage
  •       1 tsp. Thyme
  •       4 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (Can use Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
  •       1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  •       Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

  •       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  •       Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds and set aside.
  •       Place on baking sheet and cook in oven for approximately 1 hour, until soft (could take up to an hour and a half)
  •       Once pumpkin is thoroughly cooked (and cooled down a bit), scoop out flesh (3 cups) and combine in large blender with all other ingredients.
  •       Season with salt and pepper to your liking. (Note – blending will intensify the taste of salt and pepper, so I suggest adding after blending).
  •       Pour into bowls, serve, & enjoy!
Sweet & Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 
In Season Eats

a crunchy fall snack

Ingredients:

  •       Seeds from 2 Small Sugar Pumpkins (Approx. 3 Cups)
  •       1 TBS Coconut Oil
  •       1 tsp Stevia
  •       1 tsp Cinnamon
  •       ½ tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
  •       ½ tsp Organic Coconut Sugar

Directions:

  •       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  •       Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds and set aside.
  •       Place seeds in a strainer and run water over them to loosen the flesh and pulp from the seeds. Discard all pulp until there are only seeds remaining.
  •       Lay seeds out on towel and let dry completely (You could do this while your pumpkin is cooking in the oven to make your pumpkin soup!)
  •       Once dry, combine pumpkin seeds and coconut oil in a bowl until fully coated. (You could also combine in a Ziploc bag, seal, and shake).
  •       Next add spices and seasonings until seeds are well coated.
  •       Place on baking sheet and cook in oven for approximately 10 minutes. **Tip is to line baking sheet with parchment paper first for an easy, no-mess clean up!**
  •       After about 10 minutes, flip seeds and let cook for another 10 minutes.
  •       Once pumpkin seeds are a nice golden brown, remove (Note, the seeds go quickly from golden brown to burned, so keep close watch!)
  •       Remove from oven, transfer to serving plate or bowl. Enjoy!

So there ya have it folks! On top of just being downright delicious and having some pretty awesome health benefits, pumpkins are great in all types of dishes – savory, sweet, and salty! They’re also fantastic low-calorie bases for soups and baked goods, just to name a few! It’s no surprise why year after year pumpkin has the power to win me over!

 

The post In Season Eats – Power of Pumpkin appeared first on About Time.

November 05, 2015
by Natalie Bernacchi

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