The Great Pumpkin

My family devours pumpkin pies and pumpkin rolls at holidays and I don't think I've ever refused pumpkin cheese cake when it was available, so I've been experimenting with lowly canned pumpkin (yes, the grocery stores stock it year-round) and have five "extra nutrition" recipes to share. The spice proportions in these recipes have a lot of flexibility, so have fun experimenting.

A 1/2 cup serving of the cooked, canned pumpkin has only 40 calories and .5 gram of fat. It's 9 grams of carbs are divided between 5 grams of dietary fiber and only 4 grams of sugar, making it very low on the glycemic index. It has 2 grams of protein and provides 300%! of the daily recommended value of vitamin A (80% as beta carotene) It's good stuff!

Regular use of these recipes should help you painlessly, economically increase your veggie intake. I get feedback from Kyle and Michelle's family, but I'd really like to hear what you think if you try any of them.

Pumpkin Pancakes

• 2 cups of "complete" pancake mix (I used Krusteaz Buttermilk, which has no trans fats and a decent amount of protein)
• 1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
• 1/2 cup wheatgerm (sold in glass jars on the "baking aisle")
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/4- 2 1/2 cups of water
• 1 small can (15 oz) of pumpkin
• 2-4 teaspoons (total) of your choice of "pumpkin pie spices" - cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice (I've made these with just cinnamon and they are good)




• The ground flaxseed and wheatgerm raise the fiber and protein content of the pancake mix to slow down the body's absorbption of the simple carbs/sugar, allowing it to release less insulin and cortisol in your system than it would have to if you ate regular pancakes (a very good thing). They also provide a nutty crunch, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and additional folic acid (a B vitamin). Store both of these in your fridge so the oils in them don't go rancid. If you don't have ground flaxseed or wheatgerm, use quick or old-fashioned oatmeal instead.




• Just like plain pancakes, you want to mix the ingredients just until they are all blended - they'll be tough and rubbery if you mix too much.




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  This recipe makes thick pancakes that take a bit longer to cook (360-375 degrees on greased griddle) Just like traditional pancakes, add more water if the mixture is too thick to cook all the way through without burning.




• Try serving these with heated, no-added sugar applesauce or pureed pears, instead of syrup. Yummm. I've been using these as a side dish for our community meal, but they would make a great "breakfast supper" when the fridge is empty and payday is still a couple days away.

Pumpkin Protein Shake (Individual Adult 16 oz Portion)

• 1 cup milk or soymilk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 scoop (1/4-1/3 cup) vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2-4 ice cubes
• optional: sweetener of your choice
• (Again, with the spices, use what you have and prefer. I made a shake this morning with 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cinnamon - delicious - ground cloves would taste good also. )
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  Blend till smooth

Pumpkin Shake (Family style and quantity)

• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 cup milk, your choice
• 1 cup of non-fat yogurt (plain or vanilla)
• 1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
  
• (If you don't have yogurt, use more milk or ice cream, if you don't have ice cream, use more milk along with some ice cubes)
  
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• sweetener of your choice, to taste ( I used 2 T Splenda, which seemed a bit too sweet for the adults, but the boys liked this protein shake better than the one I make with strawberries and bananas - perhaps because I used considerably less protein powder, proportionately)
  
• Blend till smooth, makes 4-5 cups

Pumpkin Soup

I love rich, cream filled pumpkin soup baked and served in the pumpkin shell. Here's a quick and easy lighter version, which I adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe on http://www.foodnetwork.com/.

• 2 - 1 qt. boxes of chicken or vegetable stock (see note below)
• 2 - 15 oz cans of pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• (Or substitute 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice for all the above)
• 1-2 Tbs. honey
• 1 cup of light sour cream (or milk or 1/2 & 1/2)
• Optional: Roasted pumpkin seeds or croutons for garnish

Mix everything but the sour cream and pumpkin seeds/crouton in a pasta/soup pot and cook for 20-30 minutes (lid on) - time to allow the flavors to blend, at a low enough temp to keep it from boiling. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream, then garnish if you desire. This recipe makes about 12 cups, and is easily cut in half.

Stock Note: Make your own vegetable stock by chopping/slicing into small pieces and sauteeing 2-3 celery stalks, 1-2 carrots, 1 large onion, and 2 cloves of garlic, then boiling in 8 cups of water or chicken broth for about 20 minutes. You can either strain the veggies and remove or better yet, puree them in the blender with a bit of the stock, and add back into the soup for added thickness and taste. I used the store bought chicken stock, and added the sauteed and blended veggies back into the soup when I added the pumpkin.

Crock Pot Note: This soup would work well in a crock pot, and should only need 2-4 hours on low or 1.5 - 2 hours on high, provided your stock is already prepared.

Pumpkin Pie Power Oatmeal

Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup pureed canned pumpkin, 1/2 - 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a combo of allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg), and additional cinnamon to taste for each serving of quick or old fashioned oats, before cooking. Throw in some ground flaxseed and/or wheat germ for extra nutrition and nutty taste, sweeten and enjoy.