By Katie Scarvey
kscarvey@salisburypost.com
Pumpkin is one of those foods, like sweet potatoes, that is often considered seasonal. Actually, pumpkin deserves a cook’s year-round consideration ó not only because it tastes good but because it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Need another reason? It’s inexpensive to boot.
Pumpkin is full of antioxidants known as carotenoids, which are believed to help ward off cancer and heart disease.
It’s also low in calories, high in fiber and readily available year-round in canned form. In terms of fiber and beta-carotene, the nutritional value of the canned version ó since it’s more concentrated ó actually exceeds that of fresh.
If pumpkin only crosses your mind as an ingredient for pie, perhaps you need to broaden your orange horizons. There are many fabulous recipes that feature pumpkin, from appetizers to main dishes.
One wonderful main dish with pumpkin is Turkey and Pumpkin Chili. It doesn’t sound that appetizing, I’ll admit. But don’t let that deter you from trying this delightful recipe.
This low-fat chili is easy to make and quite nutritious. The pumpkin puree gives it a rich, subtle flavor that does not scream “pumpkin.”
The batch I made did not sit around for more than six hours, and unlike its meaty counterparts, it did not seem to need a lot of time for flavors to meld ó it tasted good immediately after it was assembled.
Like any chili, this one is easy to tailor to your liking. Spice it up or down. Use whatever beans you like. The original recipe calls for kidney beans, but I used black beans, which I prefer. Frozen corn would probably be a nice addition as well.
This recipe yields six servings, although for hearty eaters (and depending on side dishes), four may be more like it.
At only 3.5 grams of fat and 370 calories, per 13-ounce serving, this is a guilt-free dish.
Turkey and Pumpkin Chili
(From wholefoodsmarket.com)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeńos, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground white or dark meat turkey
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (or 2 C. fresh)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, jalapeńos and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add turkey and cook until browned.
Add tomatoes, pumpkin, one cup water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, then add beans. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.
Garnish with sour cream and chopped cilantro if you’d like.
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Pumpkin is perfect for quick breads and muffins. I was drawn to the following recipe because of the addition of mashed banana ó making it a combination of pumpkin and banana bread.
That these muffins are sweetened mostly with honey is another plus. I took a gamble and left out the sugar in this recipe, and I did not miss it at all.
Next time, I will probably use at least some whole wheat flour to replace the white.
Although this was originally written as a loaf recipe, I used the batter to make mini-muffins (and adjusted the recipe to reflect that.)
Mini-muffins are very kid-friendly and have the added advantage of a shorter baking time. Of course if you like a classic loaf, you can put the batter in a loaf pan and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Pumpkin-Banana Mini-Muffins
(original recipe from allrecipes.com)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1 1/3 C. pumpkin puree
1/2 C. honey
1/2 C. white sugar
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp.salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp.ground cinnamon
3/4 C. raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease a mini-muffin pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, pumpkin, honey and sugar. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pie spice and cinnamon, stir into the banana mixture until just combined. Fold in the raisins. Spoon batter into muffin tin.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen.
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Ginger Pumpkin Soup
(From Countryliving.com)
This creamy, warm soup is a sophisticated first course, combining fresh ginger, pear nectar and peanut butter. The perfect appetizer for a fall supper, this soup can be prepared several days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Warm slowly over low heat.
2 cans (15-ounce) pumpkin puree
3 cans (14 1/2-ounce) chicken broth
1 can (11 1/2-ounce) pear nectar
1/3 C. creamy peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion
1Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Chopped chives (optional)
In a 6-quart saucepan, combine pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and pear nectar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes.
In a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with chopping blade, process 1 cup pumpkin mixture with peanut butter until smooth.
Return to saucepan with the remaining pumpkin mixture. Add garlic, ginger root, green onion, lime juice, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook 10 minutes over medium heat.
Divide soup among soup plates and garnish with pumpkin seeds and chives, if desired. Serve immediately.
Makes 10 servings.