We need more pumpkins...to eat!

As I travel along this weight loss journey, I am constantly trying new foods or old foods in new ways.  So for the past few days, I've been experimenting with pumpkin since it is in season and on sale for $2 a pumpkin.  Plus when I found out that a cup of pumpkin is only about 50 calories, I knew I had to find some good recipes for it!  AND it is a great source of vitamin A and a good source of potassium.

MASHED:

So far I have made boiled and mashed pumpkin two ways.  One was with some sweetner, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  It was a sound dish, but a bit bland.  The other version had chicken broth, butter buds and a bit of Ms. Dash.  It resulted in a nice variation on starchy potatoes as a side dish for the roasted turkey tenderloin with which I served it. 

We were shocked how good
Roasted Pumpkin tastes!

ROASTED:

This is a new favorite in our house!  However, it takes a lot of hand strength and time to cube it.  In order to make roasted pumpkin, a fresh pumpkin must be cut up into 1" or so pieces and the peel must be cut off.  Then spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray and place the pieces on the cookie sheet.  Finally season with the seasonings of your choice, but so far our favorite is a bit of salt and Ms. Dash.  Finally, spray the top of the pumpkin lightly with cooking spray and put it in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.  The pieces should be turned over after about 12-15 minutes as the bottom starts to brown.  It has a very mild pumpkin flavor and it is yummy.

BAKED:

This has been my least favorite so far, but it was the easiest.  We cut off the top and cleaned out the inside.  Then we salted it lightly and turned it upside down in a baking dish with about 2" of water to bake.  I baked it at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes and the let it cool and cut it apart.  This resulted in a taste similar to a spaghetti squash, and I think it would be a good soup stir-in as it stays firm.

AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE SEEDS!

These were toasted a longer time by request so your seeds
don't have to be this brown to be yummy.

This year I tried a new roasted pumpkin seed recipe and it has the kids fighting over the seeds.  We start by boiling the seeds in salt water until they start to look gray.  Then drain the water and pat the dry on a paper towel.  Finally, place in a baggie with a little oil (and I do mean a little...like 1/2 a tsp per cup of seeds...it goes a long ways!) and some seasonings like just salt or Cajun or whatever you love on popcorn.  Place the seasoned seeds on a cookie sheet in a single layer and then bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes (depending on how toasted you like them).  It is best to stir them every 8-10 minutes while it cooks so the seeds cook evenly.