Whole Grain Pumpkin Bread

If you bake it, they will come. 

That's what I really wanna call this post.  And by they I mean little. grubby. hands.  How Jude decides what he'll put in his mouth, I'll never know.  But, I'm guessing this time the smell of warm pumpkin spice wafting through the house for a good hour while I baked did the trick.  Seriously, I couldn't even set this hot pan down without him watching my every move.  And when I walked away from the bread without cutting off a slice?  Tears.  Full-blown toddler tears.  

This bread is just slightly sweet, which is just the way I like it.  

Spread on some butter and a little honey.  

Serve it warm.  

Heaven sent, I tell ya.

Recipe below

Easiest Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Over the weekend, I made pumpkin spice pancakes.  'Tis the season, right?

  I make 'em just like I make my banana pancakes--which is the 2nd easiest thing ever (1st being pouring cereal into a bowl).  

And, yup, of course I made extra to freeze for later.
It's a healthy little pancake with whole grain and antioxidant rich pumpkin and that I like.

I just use the Krusteaz whole wheat pancake mix, throw in about one cup of pumpkin, a few shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and then add water until I get the desired consistency.  Easy right?  Even better is that I used the leftover pumpkin to make these.   Winning!

Ode to the Pumpkin: Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce

This photo via Cooking Light (sadly, Rach wasn't around to snap a pic of the ones we made--but they looked ALMOST just as good).

Hey guys, can it be November already?  Just kidding!!  Who could EVER get sick of canned pumpkin?  Not this girl.  Nuh-uh.  Nosirree.  I love, love, love it.  Forever and always.  Canned Pumpkin, you're my best friend.  Anyway, for reals though--

Yayers for it being the last week of October! 

For my last ode to the pumpkin recipe I wanted to try something challenging, and for me that meant making my own ravioli.  But guess what?  Surprisingly so easy!  So easy you can do it with your eyes closed.

Just kidding again!  This is Crockett being silly.  Here is how he really looked:

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S.  FLOSSY. FLOSSY.

We gobbled this recipe right up.  And I would say was pretty good.  I loved how fancy it looked and wish we would have had company over.  If I make it again though, I'll try to find real pasta ravioli wraps.  The wonton wrappers felt a bit doughy, even after cooking them.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
30 round wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted

WHAT TO DO

Spoon pumpkin onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, and spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl using a rubber spatula. Stir in breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, minced sage, pepper, and nutmeg.

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into the center of wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing edges firmly with fingers to form a half-moon. Place on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers and pumpkin mixture.

Fill a large Dutch oven (again with the Dutch ovens?!?) with water; bring to a simmer. Add half of ravioli to pan (cover remaining ravioli with a damp towel to keep from drying). Cook 4 minutes or until done (do not boil), stirring gently. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon; lightly coat with cooking spray, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.
Combine milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Gently stir in Gorgonzola.
Place 5 ravioli in each of 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnuts. Serve immediately.


NUTRTIONAL INFORMATION
Calories: 250 (33% from fat)
Fat: 9.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 9.5g
Carbohydrate: 33g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 22mg
Iron: 2.4mg
Sodium: 636mg
Calcium: 162mg

Laura Martin, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Ode to the Pumpkin: Spiked Pumpkin Soup

 Photo courtesy of Rachel

Alright, it's another pumpkin recipe, and I gotta be honest.  This one is not a favorite...at least for me.  I don't know if it's because I smelled it all the while I was making it, and then all the while when I was heating it back up again to serve or what.  But, I served it to about 10 people, the vast majority who said they thought it was delicious...and now that I'm typing this up, I'm wondering if I've been dooped.  Hmm.  Well, in any case, here is the recipe.  Any pumpkin soup recipes that you've tried and recommend?  I'd love to hear. 

Yield: 9 servings (serving size: about 1 cup soup, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 1 teaspoon parsley or rosemary)

INGREDIENTS

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 (29-ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

WHAT TO DO

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, ginger, cumin, and garlic cloves; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in cider, bourbon, syrup, pumpkin, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Place half of pumpkin mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into a large bowl. Repeat process with remaining pumpkin mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in milk, flour, salt, and pepper; cook until thoroughly heated (do not boil), stirring frequently. Serve with sour cream. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

PS: Just what is it with Cooking Light and Dutch ovens? SHEESH.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 163 (19% from fat)

Fat: 3.4g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.1g)

Protein: 5.1g

Carbohydrate: 24.9g

Fiber: 4.2g

Cholesterol: 12mg

Iron: 0.8mg

Sodium: 255mg

Calcium: 119mg 

 

SOURCE:  Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Ode to the Pumpkin: Roasted Squash Salad with Bacon and Pumpkin Seeds

 Photo courtesy of Rachel

Made this salad for a family dinner and it was a hit!  The buttery squash, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and smoky bacon make this a fall salad you'll want to enjoy often.  Can you guess where I found it?  Cooking Light, of course. 

Some things I learned in hind sight that could have made it easier...and all of them have to do with good-ole-always-crowded-Costco! In addition to their lovely spring salad mix and precooked bacon, when I was there today I noticed that they have pre-cut butternut squash.  HELLO--this was the hardest part!!  For me anyway.  Years ago, I sliced my had trying to cut an acorn squash and ever since I just can't cope.  Don't even get me started on pumpkin carving.  Hence, I made Dave do that part.    

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (**I couldn't find this so I used red wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon  Dijon mustard
1 bacon slice
1 medium shallot, minced
10 cup gourmet salad greens (about 10 ounces)
3 tablespoons unsalted pumpkinseed kernels, toasted

WHAT TO DO

Preheat oven to 400°.
Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Coat squash with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until squash is tender and lightly browned, stirring after 15 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, and mustard. Cook bacon in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add shallot to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute. Add shallot and bacon to vinegar mixture, stirring with a whisk.

Place salad greens in a large bowl. Drizzle vinegar mixture over greens; toss gently to coat. Arrange about 1 1/3 cups salad on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with 2/3 cup squash and 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkinseed kernels.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 130 (25% from fat)

Fat: 3.6g (sat 0.9g,mono 0.9g,poly 1.2g)

Protein: 4.8g

Carbohydrate: 23.8g

Fiber: 5.5g

Cholesterol: 2mg

Iron: 3.2mg

Sodium: 275mg

Calcium: 134mg

SOURCE: Joanne Weir, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005

Ode to the Pumpkin: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo courtesy of Rachel

You didn't think I'd leave these bad boys out did ya?  Not ever.  In fact, after making so many things with pumpkin (more recipes to come) I'd still say that pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are my fave.  How could they not be?  The perfect mixture of spice, fluffiness, and chocolate.  If you don't already have a go-to recipe--here is one that's pretty fantastic.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. pumpkin
2 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. chocolate chips

WHAT TO DO

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add vanilla, egg and pumpkin.  Mix dry ingredients together then add to pumpkin mixture mixing well. Add chocolate chips.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Ode to the Pumpkin: Banana Pumpkin Smoothie

Photo courtesy of Rachel

Happy Monday to all & Happy Anniversary to Dave and Me! 

If you just read the title to this post and thought, "Sick." Stop it right now.  I mean it.  This recipe has been taste tested by me and 3 kiddos, all without complaints.  One little girl even said, "Mmm, we should have this every pumpkin year."  Yes, it's actually pretty good, and a great way to squeeze a vegetable into your breakfast.   

Frozen banana gives this pumpkin smoothie a thick texture; chilling the pumpkin ensures the smoothie stays cold when you blend it. Add in yogurt and orange juice and you have a breakfast beverage with 740 milligrams of potassium per serving.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

INGREDIENTS

• 1  cup  low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 3/4  cup  canned pumpkin, chilled
• 1/2  cup  ice cubes
• 1/3  cup  fresh orange juice
• 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1  ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• Dash of ground cinnamon (optional)

WHAT TO DO

Combine yogurt and next 8 ingredients (through banana) in a blender, and process until smooth. Garnish with dash of ground cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 218 (9% from fat)

Fat: 2.2g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g)

Protein: 8.4g

Carbohydrate: 44.5g

Fiber: 5.5g

Cholesterol: 6mg

Iron: 1.2mg

Sodium: 87mg

Calcium: 243mg

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, APRIL 2005

Ode to the Pumpkin

Photo courtesy of Rachel

There are lots of great things that happen in October...Halloween, special birthdays, the first falling of snow (usually), my anniversary, daylight savings.  It's a great month.  And it's got a great mascot--the pumpkin.

Doesn't it make walking into the grocery store that much nicer?  Seeing all those pumpkins happily piled on top of each other?  Isn't it fun choosing what shape pumpkin you'll carve?  I always go with the big, oblong ones...I have a thing for long faces, which explains my love affair with Celine Dion.  Joking! Geez!!  But, don't ya just love cutting out the top and sticking your hand in that first time to grab the slime and seeds?  And what would Halloween be without the smell of candles burning in the pumpkin?  Personally, I don't really like this smell, but nonetheless, I love the pumpkin. 

So throughout this month, I'm going to find and post fun pumpkin recipes, ending with a grand finale that I've been affectionately calling The Great Pumpkin Dinner...a fun way to get together with friends or family and celebrate one more way in October.  A meal with all of it's courses containing something pumpkin.  A fun tradition, no?  To kick the month off right, I'd thought I'd provide y'all with some nutritional information about the pumpkin.  Ya know, so we can appreciate if for it's substance as well as its good looks.  I hate being superficial.

Ahem.
Nutritional Benefits--  Pumpkin:  Fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free, a good source of vitamin C, and an excellent source of beta carotene, which the body then converts to vitamin A.  Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant and acts in the body to help form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin.  Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in low light. And it also plays an important role in reproduction and breast-feeding.  Pumpkin seeds: just one serving (about 1/4 cup) provides almost half the recommended daily amounts of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, vitamin K, and zinc.  Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of protein and monounsaturated fats!
How to Select:  Select pumpkins that are firm and heavy for their size (and if you're me, big and oblong).
How to Store:  Store pumpkins in a cool, dark place for up to two months.

Random Tidbit: The origin of pumpkin pie occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in hot ashes.  Umm, wondering why we ever deviated from this recipe?  This sounds way easier than making a pie.

OK, phew!  Now that we're all educated and revved up about pumpkin, stay tuned for some healthy recipes!  And if you've got a go-to pumpkin recipe you'd like to share, please, please send me an email or comment below!