The Great Pumpkin

Eating Well With Kim • November 2011

 It’s pumpkin time! Pumpkin pie is the only way I had ever eaten pumpkin until my adult years. However, pumpkin can be enjoyed many other ways, which is fortunate for me because, sadly, I do not like the all-American pumpkin pie. Today’s recipe maintains some of the sweetness you might find in pumpkin pie but lets the flavor and nutrients of the fresh pumpkin shine. 

Speaking of nutrients, consider this: One-half cup of fresh pumpkin has only 40 calories, five grams of fiber and 300 percent of your daily value for vitamin A. That is one nutrient-packed food!

While fresh pumpkins are seasonal, pumpkin puree is available year-round and can be substituted for oil in many different recipes including cakes, muffins and quick breads. Try adding pumpkin puree instead of oil to your next batch of brownies. Other great uses for pumpkin puree include adding it to your morning oatmeal and mixing it into your favorite batch of chili.

It is not hard to pick out a can of pumpkin puree, but you may be wondering how to pick out the best pumpkin for cooking. The first thing you need to know is that the large pumpkins used as decorations and Jack-O-Lanterns are not generally used for cooking or eating. They tend to have a more stringy texture and are not as sweet.

For cooking, pick out a smaller pumpkin typically called a pie or sugar pumpkin.  Look for a pumpkin that is firm and heavy for its size.  Make sure that it is free of spots and scratches and has a dull finish.  Those that are shiny may have been picked too soon and are not ripe.  
Making fresh pumpkin puree is easy to do and the added advantage of using a fresh pumpkin is that you get seeds to toast—you don’t get those out of the can.

Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the whole pumpkin on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 90 minutes, until tender. Allow to cool and peel (the peeling should come off very easily). Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy pulp with a large spoon. Cut the remaining pumpkin into chunks and puree. Fresh pumpkin puree will keep for five days in the refrigerator and six months in the freezer.

Pumpkin Seeds

Don’t throw away those seeds! Wash them off and roast them. To roast them: rinse and dry the seeds, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and roast at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Spray the tops of the seeds with cooking spray and sprinkle the desired seasoning evenly over the seeds before roasting. Pumpkin seeds can also be sprinkled onto custards and pies. The seeds provide healthy unsaturated fat (omega 3), fiber, iron, zinc, magnesium and manganese. Throughout the year you can find hulled pumpkin seeds in the produce section. They are great as a snack or tossed on a salad.

Maple Roasted Pumpkin

This is a delicious way to enjoy pumpkin beyond the pie.

1 2-pound sugar or pie pumpkin
1 ½ Tbs. Maple syrup (use the real stuff here)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To prepare the pumpkin, cut the top and bottom of the pumpkin off and then peel the rest of the pumpkin with a vegetable peeler. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the strings and seeds (reserve the seeds for use later). Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch chunks and place in a large bowl.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stir to combine and then pour the mixture over the pumpkin chunks, toss to coat. Spread pumpkin on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Roast for 20 minutes, until tender and delicious.

Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 70, Fat 1.5g (0g Saturated fat, 1g Monounsaturated fat), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 0mg, Carbohydrate 16g, Fiber 1g, Protein 2g.
Percent Daily Value: 250% Vitamin A, 25% Vitamin C, 8% Iron, 4% Calcium
Carbohydrate Choice: 1 Carbohydrate
Diabetes Exchange Values: 1 Starch

Health Care System. She lives in North Augusta with her husband and two children and she  is the co-host of the culinary nutrition segment Eating Well With Kim, which airs at noon Monday,Wednesday and Friday on WRDW. To join the recipe club or view recipes, visit www.universityhealth.org/ewwk. You can also watch the segments at www.wrdw.com/ewwk.