Discover Sweet & Savory Surprises with Unusual Pumpkin Recipes

If there was ever a vegetable that evokes the feeling of Autumn, it's the pumpkin. They are everywhere the minute summer starts to fade and fall approaches. No matter where you turn, there is a pumpkin with a candle inside of it, fields of pumpkins to be chosen, piles of pumpkins, people dressed as pumpkins, and even trash bags for your leaves that mimic pumpkins. But of all the pumpkin-related things out there during the fall, my favorite pumpkin is the one on the dinner table.

Unfortunately, when pumpkin is delivered to the table in the same way over and over again, it can result in what I like to call 'pumpkin burnout.'  Just like with any food fatigue or burnout, it isn't the fault of the food, but the way the food is delivered.  When was the last time your pumpkin pie brought exclamations of delight to the family dinner table?  Have your pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bread been met with a less than enthusiastic welcome?

It's time to get creative and avoid 'pumpkin burnout' this fall.  Let's switch things up a bit and create some sweet and savory surprises with this healthy super food.

Dessert

Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake (Photo credit: texascooking)

A plate of pumpkin cookies is a surprising sweet treat after dinner.  Just looking at them, your guests may not be able to tell what exactly is on the plate.  But, they will soon find out when they bite into this scrumptious flavor favorite.  Pumpkin pie won't even be missed when you serve up a variety of desserts like pumpkin dip with ginger cookies, pumpkin mousse, pumpkin torte, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, or even a pumpkin souffle.

You can make pumpkin chips by roasting thin pieces of a sugar pumpkin, sprinkle them with cinnamon, and serve with a cream cheese dip flavored with nutmeg and allspice and other pumpkin pie flavors.  And don't forget pumpkin fudge.  With all these surprising options to pumpkin pie, you can't possibly suffer from pumpkin burnout!

Casseroles

When you think about serving pumpkin in something other than a dessert, a casserole comes to mind almost immediately.  And when you're thinking about casseroles, you should think about Kürbisauflauf. Yes, I know it is a mouth full, but this German pumpkin casserole is something that will definitely not contribute to any kind of pumpkin burnout.  This casserole is made with potatoes, apples, breadcrumbs, and pumpkin as the main ingredients and usually served with fruit compote.

Even though this is a sweetened casserole, it is not overly sweet. You add sugar if you want, but much of the sweetness comes naturally from the apples and raisins, if added.  Also, you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, so the spices are not there.  Pumpkin does not taste like pumpkin pie until you add the spices.  In this German casserole favorite, you'll be tasting more of the apple and enjoying the moistness of the pumpkin.

Breakfast

You are probably familiar with pumpkin muffins. But we're going to skip the familiar and go with something you may not have tried yet.  Pumpkin is a wonderful ingredient to add to pancakes or waffles. Pumpkin offers moisture as well as lots of fiber for a nutritious and delicious breakfast.  You may want to add pumpkin to your favorite yogurt and granola parfait for breakfast.

If doughnuts are your favorite breakfast treat, why not add pumpkin?  It is a simple matter of combining your doughnut ingredients with pumpkin pie filling and cooking them up as you normally would. That plate of doughnuts all of a sudden is very seasonal and festive.  Is a hot bowl of oatmeal your go-to breakfast?  Why not perk it up with some cooked diced pumpkin!  Add your favorite spices, some raisins, and you have a hot breakfast that kicks the nutrition level up a notch or two.

Pumpkin Burger (Photo credit: The Facey Family)

Savory

If sweet isn't your thing, you may want to turn your sights on savory flavors.  Remember, pumpkin puree has very little flavor of its own.  For that reason, pumpkin is the perfect vehicle for other flavors.  And, because pumpkin is packed with nutritional fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, it's a great choice for healthy diets, as well.  Pumpkin puree, either homemade or canned, can be mixed with other pureed root crops like rutabaga, turnips, carrots, potatoes, or parsnips, to make hearty soups.  For the savory twist, fry up smokey bacon with onion, leeks, garlic, and herbs like rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.

Roast diced pumpkin with other fall vegetables, season with cumin, cayenne pepper, and other savory seasonings to create a side dish suitable for beef, pork, or chicken.  Layer sliced pumpkin, onions, potatoes, eggplant, and tomatoes with spicy Italian sausage to make a baked dish that's sure to please your hungry family, and without a bit of pumpkin burnout.  Once you get beyond thinking of pumpkin as only a sweet dessert, you will easily move your pumpkin from the sweet side of the pantry to the savory side.

Drinks

Pumpkin Munchikhan Cocktail (Photo credit: waferboard)

Pumpkin drinks are an instantaneous hit anywhere they are served. Some pumpkin beverages are simply pumpkin desserts cleverly disguised as a drink.  Pumpkin pie smoothies and pumpkin cheesecake shakes are two that come to mind.  Whipping up these drinks is as simple as getting out your blender and making your favorite dessert with a little added milk or ice cream.  Of course, pumpkin pie hot chocolate is another favorite.

You can even go the adult beverage route with many recipes that combine pumpkin puree or pumpkin liqueurs.  Some drinks simply play on the flavors we associate with pumpkin pie; the spices, that is.  But others do actually call for combining pumpkin pie filling with ingredients like Kaluha or rum, and whipping it all up into a frothy drink topped with whipped cream.  This would be a sort of dessert drink with a pumpkin twist.  Certainly, these drinks won't lead to pumpkin burnout!

Whether you're looking for new recipes to serve pumpkin in sweet ways, or you're trying to steer your pumpkin away from sweet and into savory, all it takes is a bit of creativity.  Experiment with a variety of flavors, both savory and sweet, to bring out the very best of everything pumpkin has to offer.  Remember, pumpkin does not taste like pumpkin pie on its own.  That means, you can start fresh!  Surprise your family and your guests with something new this fall – serve dishes that will show a new side of pumpkin.

Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Mini Muffin Quiches

As we discussed on Monday, starting your day with a healthy breakfast is important for reaching your weight loss goals. Breaking your fast with some good protein, healthy fats, and veggies will give your body the nutrition it needs for a healthy kick-start to the day - no coffee required!

Healthy Bites Mini Muffin Quiches
(Makes 1 dozen mini quiches.)

 (Photo credit: smcgee)

Ingredients:

8 oz. all-natural (preferably organic) turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing & crumbled or chopped small
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 eggs
1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (with rack in center of oven.) Spray or oil a mini-muffin tin (12 cups).
2. Put a large skillet on stovetop burner on medium-high heat; add sausage and cook stirring until golden brown; remove sausage to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the olive oil to the skillet on medium-high heat, and add mushrooms, cooking and stirring until mushrooms have softened and are slightly browned; remove mushrooms to the same bowl with the sausage and let cool slightly.
4. Add the green onions, Swiss cheese, and black pepper, and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk and whisk together.
6. Pour even amounts of this egg mixture to the muffin cups.
7. Add a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup on top of the egg mixture.
8. Put muffin tin in oven and bake until the tops are beginning to get golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. 
9. Remove from oven and cool in the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. 
10. Flip muffins out by placing another cooling rack on top of the cooled muffins in the tins, then flipping it upside down and urging the muffins out. Turn the muffins over so they're standing up and let them cool to room temperature.

Serve as a snack, breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even a light dinner.  You can tweak this to your specific diet by replacing the whole eggs with egg whites, trying different types of cheese, or increasing or decreasing the amount of turkey sausage versus vegetables, or using other vegetables entirely.

Pumpkins - More Than A Jack-O-Lantern: A Superfood!

This time of year, pumpkins are everywhere: lining the side walks, piled beside roadside stands, and grinning down from porches. But pumpkins are more than just a decoration - they're actually a superfood! Thinking of pumpkin as a nutritious super food can be a bit puzzling.  After all, isn't the first image that comes to mind sweet and smooth and covered in whipped cream?  But, according to nutritionists, we should be thinking of pumpkin more often than during the annual Charlie Brown cartoon or as a delicious way to top off a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin is a vegetable, regardless of those images. In fact, pumpkin is a nutrient-rich super food that has a great number of health benefits. Let's take a look at why pumpkin should get its just desserts... beyond desserts.

Pumpkins, photographed in Canada. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Well-Rounded Vegetable

The list of nutrients in pumpkins is almost endless. Starting with the basic vitamins and minerals we all know, pumpkin has a healthy amount of vitamins C and E, and is a rich source of  potassium and magnesium. Pumpkin is also right up there with other super foods in the dietary fiber category.

Pumpkin also contains two lesser known elements called carotenoids, which are alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. These carotenoids are fat-soluble compounds that are specifically linked to decreasing the risk of a number of cancers, as well as lowering the risk for heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

Beta carotene is an important antioxidant. Foods rich in beta carotene, like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and carrots, have the potential to lower cholesterol and to slow the aging process of our vital organs. Antioxidant rich foods, like pumpkin, are key to fighting the free radicals which attack our healthy cells.

And, it’s not just the flesh, the insides, of the pumpkin that is healthy. The seeds from the pumpkin also earn super food status. These seeds, or pepitas, are also nutrient-rich and beneficial, containing high concentrations of phosphorous, zinc, copper, selenium, and other nutrients. The seeds also have essential Omega 3 fatty acids and even the amino acid typtophan, known for its anti-depressant benefits. So, as you see, the pumpkin has a lot more to offer than you might think.

Thinking Outside the Pie Pan

Of course, pumpkin is associated first with pie. Beyond pie, many folks know about making pumpkin muffins or cake. These are great and delicious, but trying to branch out into more savory pumpkin dishes takes a little more imagination.

A slice of homemade Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But, first to clarify; no, pumpkin does not taste like pumpkin pie. That flavor comes from the spices used in the pie, like nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Because pumpkin basically has very little flavor of its own, it will taste like whatever you want it to taste like.

Pumpkin is truly versatile enough to go into soup, chowder, stews, casseroles, and other main dishes (I have a Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup recipe that I love).  You can puree pumpkin and add to soups as a thickener and to add great fiber and nutrition. Try roasting pumpkin and mashing like you would any squash. Flavor with herbs, salt, and pepper for added taste. You can steam it, boil it, or puree it to use in a variety of other recipes, like pumpkin pancakes for breakfast. The seeds, of course, can be roasted in a number of ways, then added to cereal, trail mix, or salads. 

For a real different twist, and a very pretty presentation, scoop out the flesh from several small pumpkins, chop up and add to your choice of meat, vegetables, rice or bread cubes, and seasonings. Then stuff the pumpkin shells with the mixture and bake to make an entrée that your guests won’t soon forget.

Pumpkin has definitely earned its place among the top super foods for a healthy diet. Colorful, nutritious, delicious, and oh so versatile – all the things a super food should be!

Still stumped for ideas for cooking pumpkin? Be sure to check back later this week for some tasty new recipes!

Video - High Fiber Muffin Recipe

Here is a quick and fun recipe for some healthy and tasty high-fiber muffins.  Muffins are a great way to get some extra fiber into your diet - they are quick and easy to make, and make an excellent snack or breakfast on the run. If you have a juicer, you'll have lots of leftover fiber - don't throw it away - that's a lot of the good stuff from your fruits and veggies! Instead, use it to make muffins like these. Wow, don't they look delicious?

(The full recipe with ingredients and measurements is at the end of the short video. You'll probably want to hit pause when you get there to write them down, as it goes pretty quick.)

High Fibre Muffin Recipe
For more like this visit: www.legourmet.tv In this recipe video we use the Fibre left over from our Breville Ikon Juice machine. Dont throw out that fibre you need it in your diet. This recipe can use any leftover fibre from juicing.
 

More High Fiber Recipes:
   

Recipe - Blackberry Coconut Muffins

Muffins make a great breakfast-on-the go idea, as they are easy to make ahead of time, and usually will keep for a couple of days. Make them early in the week and get a couple of good breakfasts out of them. Round out the breakfast with a scrambled egg and some juice if you have time, or if you're really in the hurry just grab a muffin and a piece of fruit and go.

Image via WikipediaHere is a yummy and healthy recipe that will help you start the day off right! Delicious and filled with healthy nutrients, your kids will love these, and you will love knowing they are starting the day off on the right foot. (Although they may just be so good that you'll want to save one for dessert too!)

Crazy Good Blackberry Coconut Muffins | Healthy Muffins That Taste ...
If you love to eat light and airy coconut muffins muffins filled with plump, juicy blackberries, then you have to try this healthy muffin recipe! These easy to make Blackberry Coconut muffins are one of my favorite Living Healthy Mom ...
Publish Date: 04/01/2011 18:39
http://www.livinghealthymom.com/coconut-muffins-plump-blackberries/

Other Recipes for Healthy Breakfast Muffins:

• Berry Good Muffins (itsnotartitsdinner.wordpress.com)
• MMM, MMM, Muffins! (alternativetastes.com)
• strawberry lemon oatbran muffins (atasteofhealthwithbalance.wordpress.com)
• Making Muffins Healthy: Heart-Healthy Muffins Low in Fat and Calories (brighthub.com)
• Gingerbread Muffins, the whole wheat way (neverpictureperfect.wordpress.com)