With Halloween only weeks away and Thanksgiving just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about pumpkins. It's a great time to head to the pumpkin patch with the children to select a jack-o'-lantern or dig out your favorite recipe to satisfy seasonal cravings for the spicy smooth taste of traditional pie.
The grocery stores, nurseries and vegetable markets will soon overflow with a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
Pumpkins are visible throughout our culture in nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Who could forget "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" or the pumpkin that Cinderella's fairy godmother turned into a coach for her trek to the ball to meet Prince Charming?
But there is more to the orange bulbous squash than stories and jack-o'-lanterns, more than pie and toasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin is healthy and versatile. It is a natural antioxidant, high in beta-carotene and an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and iron. It is high in fiber, and low in fat and calories according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional information.
The options are limited only by your imagination and culinary creativity. There is pumpkin casserole, pumpkin jam, pumpkin pickles, pumpkin burgers and the list goes on. Incorporating pumpkin into main dishes is a natural for the vegetarian diet offering an autumn change of taste. If the task of preparing fresh pumpkin is too daunting, the canned varieties offer great pumpkin flavor and health benefits in less time.
Gabriele Oborski of Gourmet Catering suggests serving pumpkin preserves with beef or game, much like cranberry sauce for turkey.
Enjoy the season, add a little color to your life and your diet cooking by creatively with pumpkin — it's more than just pie.
Mexican Pumpkin Soup
For a quick and hearty dish to pair with your favorite salad and a loaf of warm crusty bread, Mexican pumpkin soup is healthy and satisfying.
Ingredients
1 large onion chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups pureed cooked pumpkin or 1 cup canned pumpkin
1 16-ounce can chili beans
1 tbsp. seeded diced jalapeño
5 medium red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoons oregano
pinch of cayenne or other red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup milk (soy milk may be substituted)
Salt to taste
Directions
Using a large pot, sauté onions over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook for about one minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
Pumpkin Ravioli
A special main course is only minutes away with this easy pumpkin ravioli, with only a fraction of the calories of meat or cheese varieties.
Ingredients
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 wonton wrappers
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Chopped parsley
Directions
Mix together pumpkin, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Spoon about 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite sides together to form a triangle, pinching edges to seal. Place ravioli into a large saucepan of boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt; cook 7 minutes, and drain in a colander. Place 1/2 cup broth and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in pan; bring to a boil. Add ravioli, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.
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