Sierra Blogging Post Archives

In the spirit of the season, here are two outstanding pumpkin recipes that make great use of jack-o-lantern leftovers...

Did you know that a pumpkin is really a squash? It is a member of the Cucurbita family, which also includes squash and cucumbers. Pumpkins are loaded with Vitamin A and their seeds are a great source of zinc which has been shown to maintain prostate health and increase bone density in men. By the way, almost 30% of hip fractures occur in men, and 1 in 8 men over age 50 will have an osteoporotic fracture. Be sure to save those seeds for an important man in your life!

Here's a wonderful recipe from Suite 101's Healthy Cooking for Pumpkin Bran Muffins:

* 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
* 1 cup bran cereal
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1/2 cup (3-1/2 oz.) sugar
* 2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) brown sugar, packed
* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 1-1/4 cups (5 3/8 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/2 tsp. ginger
* 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. allspice
* 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1 cup (6 oz.) raisins
* Demarara or coarse sugar for sprinkling

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, bran cereal, butter, and sugars. Stir in the eggs and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, spices, baking soda and baking powder. Stir into the pumpkin mixture, then stir in the raisins. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the batter for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease or line the wells of a muffin pan with papers. Scoop the batter into the pan, using a heaping 1/4 cup of batter for each. Sprinkle the tops with sugar if desired, then bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for five minutes before taking them out of the pan to finish cooling on a rack.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Per muffin: 150 cal, 3g fat, 3g protein, 19g complex carbohydrates, 12g sugar, 4 g dietary fiber, 41mg cholesterol, 348mg sodium, 288mg potassium, 881RE vitamin A, 2mg vitamin C, 3mg iron, 69mg calcium, 127mg phosphorus.

via Terri Holley, MS, CPCC, is a Certified Professional Life Coach and Life Enrichment Consultant. She is the owner and founder of Momentum Health and Life Coaching, LLC.


Not a huge muffin fan? Try this delicious entree from Cooking Light (I'm making this for dinner tonight)...

Pasta with Mushrooms and Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked pennette (small penne)
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 3/4 pound whole mushrooms)
4 cups vertically sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
Fresh sage sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Keep warm.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes. Uncover; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Combine chopped sage and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture and cheese to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 2 minutes or until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Add pasta and pumpkin mixture to mushroom mixture; toss well to combine. Garnish with fresh sage sprigs, if desired.
Yield

6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 462(13% from fat); FAT 6.5g (sat 2.8g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 19.9g; CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 265mg; SODIUM 636mg; FIBER 7.3g; IRON 3.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 83.1g

via Sarah Doyle Lacamoire , Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Enjoy!