Autumn brings crisp air, falling leaves and shorter days. And, for me, it brings the urge to bake. There’s something magical about the change in seasons that draws me to my kitchen. I adore the spicy scent of baking apples and cinnamon. I savor the smell of pumpkins and nutmeg warming up my kitchen on a chilly autumn afternoon.
With the abundance of pumpkins cropping up at farmer’s markets and grocery stores, I thought it fitting to share two seasonal pumpkin recipes with you. I took a couple of my favorites and gave them “makeovers” to reduce some unnecessary fats and sugars and boost the nutrition. My kitchen has become a delicious-smelling food lab! And my family and neighbors are expert taste testers.
You’ll note I use canned—not fresh—pumpkin in the following recipes. While many people use fresh pumpkins for cooking and baking, I prefer to use the canned version for the sake of convenience. There’s no cutting or cooking or pureeing. It saves so much time and still packs all the nutrition fresh pumpkin does. Speaking of nutrition, pumpkin is a good source of vitamin A and potassium and a very good source of fiber. Just make sure you’re buying 100 percent pumpkin—without salt or added sugars—to get the most bang for your calorie.
Don’t let fall slip away without trying these recipes…
Recipe #1: Season’s Best Pumpkin Bread
I took an old family favorite pumpkin bread recipe and tweaked the ingredients and amounts a bit. To help bump up the nutrition, I substituted Greek yogurt for some of the oil and cut back on the sugar while adding more pumpkin puree. The result? A velvety, moist, flavorful taste of fall. I hope you like this bread as much as we do!
Ingredients:
2 large eggs (NuVal 56)
3/4 cup brown sugar (NuVal 1)
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NuVal 100)
1/4 cup canola oil (NuVal 32)
1/3 cup low fat yogurt—I used Nostimo Greek yogurt (NuVal 96)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (not scored)
1 cup all-purpose flour (NuVal 64)*
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (NuVal 94)*
1/2 tsp baking soda (not scored)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (not scored)
1 tsp cinnamon (not scored)
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg (not scored)
1/2 tsp salt (not scored)1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease loaf pan and dust with flour to prevent sticking.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar. Add pumpkin, oil, yogurt, and vanilla. Mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring to combine. Do not over mix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.*I used a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose white flours as listed above—because that’s what I had in my kitchen. But, I do want you to know Coborn’s carries a whole wheat white flour (King Arthur brand) in their natural foods section that scores a NuVal 94. You can always use it to bump up the nutrition!
Recipe #2: Pumpkin Perfection Smoothie
With autumn in the air and area coffee shops featuring their pumpkin spice lattes (a.k.a. sugar in a cup), I wanted to offer a healthier, homemade alternative. Finally, a pumpkin spice treat that’s good for you! Blend nutrient-packed pumpkin puree and yogurt with fresh almond milk, spices, and a drizzle of maple syrup for a fanciful fall after school snack. It’s refreshing and not-too-sweet. Instead of sipping sugar in a cup, think of this one as refreshing pumpkin pie in a glass!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NuVal 100)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt – I used Nostimo Greek Vanilla (NuVal 33)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk – I used Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla (NuVal 93)
pinch of nutmeg (not scored)
pinch of cinnamon (not scored)
1 tsp pure maple syrup, optional—if you like it a bit sweeter (NuVal 1)
1 cup icePlace all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!
There’s so much more to pumpkins than pie making. How do you eat pumpkin? Pumpkin cookies? Pumpkin pasta? Pumpkin seeds? Please share your recipes below.
Wishing you a happy, healthy autumn!
Kelly
This is a guest post by Kelly Radi. Passionate about food and nutrition, Kelly is a freelance writer, NuVal expert, former BLEND employee, and current BLEND advocate. A wife and mother of 2 teenagers, Kelly lives in Sartell where she is often spotted at Coborn’s scouring the shelves in search of the best NuVal scores. She enjoys cooking, playing tennis, and sitting down with a good book. She can be reached at radi.to.write@gmail.com.
The opinions expressed in this blog are the opinions of the writer and not the opinions of NuVal LLC, Coborn’s, Inc., BLEND, and the CentraCare Health Foundation. Read more “Peek Into Kelly’s Kitchen” blogs, here!
