With fall just around the corner and a chill in the air, we can look forward to fall treats. Seasonal fall foods like apples and squash are in abundance. One of my favorite fall foods is squash – particularly pumpkins. Pumpkin is not just for pumpkin pie or making a Jack O lantern. Pumpkin can be used in many delicious recipes.
Pumpkins are considered a fruit, with over 150 varieties of pumpkin worldwide. They are a nutrient powerhouse, offering fiber, potassium, vitamins A, E, K, iron, and copper. Pumpkin has about 3 grams of protein per cup.
Fun facts:
The flowers and the seeds are also edible.
Pumpkin seeds and pepitas are both pumpkin seeds, but the pepitas do not have a hull or shell, whereas the pumpkin seeds do. They both are very nutritious and offer fiber, protein, magnesium, healthy fats, and other nutrients. When you get a whole pumpkin, do not discard the seeds, clean them off and toast or roast them for a snack or to add to other foods.
One of my favorite ways to use pumpkin is in hummus. Below is a recipe to try.
Pumpkin Hummus (from Taste of Home)
TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 25 mi.
YIELD: 3 cups
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil or pumpkin seed oil
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil or olive oil, optional
- 1/4 cup salted pumpkin seeds or pepitas
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- Baked pita chips and sliced apples and pears
Directions
- 1. In a food processor, combine the first 9 ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Garnish with oil if desired; top with pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds. Serve with pita chips, apples, and pears.