Monday
Oct202008
Fall eating with pumpkins
Monday, October 20, 2008 at 11:55AM
No, they're not just for fattening pies or breads. Pumpkins are a sweet, vitamin-packed vegetable with lots of fiber and flavor, and if you've never experimented with the tasty gourd in the kitchen, you're really missing out. Don't know where to start? Try one of the soups below, the first one sweet and the second one spicy...
... and keep reading to the end to find the pumpkin's best-kept secret!
Healthy Pumpkin Soup
Serves 2 (add a side salad or whole wheat bread to make a more filling meal)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-2.5 lbs. pumpkin flesh, chopped
1 carrot
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 cups low-fat chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 bay leaves
1 cup skim milk powder
1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and gently cook onion without browning, for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add pumpkin, carrot and rosemary and cook,stirring for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add stock and bay leaves.
4. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
5. Remove any rosemary stalks and bay leaves.
6. Place a third of the soup in the blender with a third of the skim milk powder and puree.
7. Pour into a large bowl.
8. Repeat with the remaining soup and milk powder and pour the whole lot back into the saucepan, heat through and serve.
Calories: 249
Fat: 8 g
Carbs: 38 g
Protein: 11 g
Fiber: 4 g
Spicy Chicken-and-Pumpkin Stew
Serves 10 (1 cup stew and 1/2 cup rice = 1 serving)
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 cups sliced onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin or other winter squash (such as acorn)
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1, Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the chicken, and sauté for 8 minutes or until browned. Remove the chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining chicken; set aside.
2, Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (onion through garlic); sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, water, and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Return chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until heated. Stir in cilantro; serve over rice.
Calories: 267
Fat: 4.7g
Protein: 19.3g
Carbs: 36.4g
Fiber: 2.6g
And the best part of cooking with pumpkins? THE SEEDS! Wash the guck off those seeds, let them dry and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat the seeds with cooking spray (I have an olive oil mister) and your choice of spices: cinnamon and sugar, salt and pepper, curry powder and cayenne pepper. You'll be amazed at what a satisfying and protein-packed snack those little seeds make. One ounce (about 85 seeds!) has only 126 calories and 5 g of protein.
Happy Fall eating, everyone!
... and keep reading to the end to find the pumpkin's best-kept secret!
Healthy Pumpkin SoupServes 2 (add a side salad or whole wheat bread to make a more filling meal)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-2.5 lbs. pumpkin flesh, chopped
1 carrot
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 cups low-fat chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 bay leaves
1 cup skim milk powder
1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and gently cook onion without browning, for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add pumpkin, carrot and rosemary and cook,stirring for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add stock and bay leaves.
4. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
5. Remove any rosemary stalks and bay leaves.
6. Place a third of the soup in the blender with a third of the skim milk powder and puree.
7. Pour into a large bowl.
8. Repeat with the remaining soup and milk powder and pour the whole lot back into the saucepan, heat through and serve.
Calories: 249
Fat: 8 g
Carbs: 38 g
Protein: 11 g
Fiber: 4 g
Spicy Chicken-and-Pumpkin Stew
Serves 10 (1 cup stew and 1/2 cup rice = 1 serving)
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 cups sliced onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin or other winter squash (such as acorn)
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1, Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the chicken, and sauté for 8 minutes or until browned. Remove the chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining chicken; set aside.
2, Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (onion through garlic); sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, water, and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Return chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until heated. Stir in cilantro; serve over rice.
Calories: 267
Fat: 4.7g
Protein: 19.3g
Carbs: 36.4g
Fiber: 2.6g
And the best part of cooking with pumpkins? THE SEEDS! Wash the guck off those seeds, let them dry and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat the seeds with cooking spray (I have an olive oil mister) and your choice of spices: cinnamon and sugar, salt and pepper, curry powder and cayenne pepper. You'll be amazed at what a satisfying and protein-packed snack those little seeds make. One ounce (about 85 seeds!) has only 126 calories and 5 g of protein.Happy Fall eating, everyone!