Your Jack-o’-lantern Isn’t Just For Warding Off Evil Spirits

It’s that time of year when all you ghost catchers and goblin chasers will go to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin to carve your Jack-o'-lantern. It’s a tradition dating back to the ancient Celts who believed the scary faces scared away any evil spirits who happened to be wandering around.

But even if you’re going to leave the spirit chasing to someone else, and you plan on picking up your pumpkin at the local grocery store, keep in mind that your pumpkin is more than just a decoration. It’s actually a great source of many nutrients we need on a daily basis. According to Registered Dietitian Nadine Pazder, of the Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater Florida, pumpkin provides 300 percent of the RDA for beta-carotene, which is the nutrient your body converts into Vitamin A. Pumpkin also provides 43 percent of the RDA for iron. It is a good source of fiber, riboflavin, and Vitamin C. Nadine added that pumpkin provides a good source of low fat Vitamin E. As she explained, most Vitamin E sources are oil-based, which adds calories. Pumpkin gives you Vitamin E and it’s only 45 calories for a cup of fresh pumpkin and 83 calories for a cup of canned pumpkin that has been pureed and cooked down. And for all you seniors worried about macular degeneration and other vision diseases, pumpkin is a great source for lutein, which is an antioxidant that keeps eyes healthy.

If you’ve never cooked pumpkin before, Nadine had some tips for buying and preparing one. Look for a Cinderella pumpkin because it has a good flesh-to-seed ratio. You can recognize it because it resembles the shape of Cinderella’s pumpkin coach, round with a flattened top. Cut it into sections and peel it. Then cut the sections into chunks and put them in the microwave.

Nadine also mentioned that if you don't want to bother with preparing fresh pumpkin, the canned variety is equally nutritious. The Canned Food Alliance has put together some great ideas for quick and easy ways to use canned pumpkin:

• As an ingredient in smoothies or shakes: just blend with lemon or vanilla yogurt or with ice cream or frozen yogurt; canned peaches or pineapple; banana; and with spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and cardamom.
• Blended with packaged pudding or custard for almost-from-scratch, pumpkin-spiced pudding.
• As an ingredient in baked goods, such as Orange Drizzled Pumpkin Bars or Harvest Pumpkin Pineapple Loaves.
• Combined with puréed vegetables, such as with mashed potatoes, parsnips or sweet potatoes for quick dishes.
• In batters for holiday breakfast dishes, such as pumpkin-spiced pancakes or waffles.
• In hot soups, such as Thai Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup.
• In desserts, such as an easy pumpkin mousse, just fold pumpkin with whipped cream or non-dairy cream to create a dessert topping or a frozen or refrigerated dessert.
• In fillings for homemade ravioli, such as Cheese Ravioli with Pumpkin Sauce and Pumpkin Potato Ravioli.
• As a thickener and flavor ingredient in creamy soups, sauces, chili and stews.
• In reinvented casserole dishes, such as Praline Crisped Sweet Potatoes
• In a dessert dip to enjoy with crispy apple or pear slices.
• And, of course, as the principal ingredient in pumpkin pie.

If your tastes run to the more exotic and you like to experiment with recipes, why not try these two from Maria Liberati. She is a former international supermodel turned celebrity chef, author, and lifestyle personality. She has authored a cookbook entitled The Basic Art Of Italian Cooking, which contains these recipes. She is currently working on The Basic Art Of Italian Cooking, Part 2.

Pumpkin Risotto

• 1 1/2 cups Arborio or carnaroli rice
• 1 lb of fresh pumpkin ‘meat’
• 2 sage leaves
• 1/2 onion
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

Peel and seed pumpkin, discard skin and seeds. Then chop pumpkin into small cubes. Place broth into large saucepan and heat. Place pumpkin cubes in broth just until they begin to soften. Place oil in sauté pan, heat on medium, add in onion finely chopped and sage leaves. When onions start to become golden, add in dry rice. Let rice become toasted and golden. Then begin adding in broth, about 1 cup at a time. When liquid is totally absorbed add in the next cup, and continue this for about 20 minutes. Then add in pumpkin and continue stirring for about another 2 minutes. Remove sage leaves. Taste to be sure rice is cooked, but al dente. Top with butter and grated parmigiano cheese. Serve immediately.

Conchiglioni con Zucca (shell pasta with pumpkin)

• 2 cups small shell pasta (made with 100% semolina)
• 1 lb of fresh pumpkin cleaned, seeded and cut into small cubes
• 1/2-cup plain tomato sauce
• olive oil
• 1 sage, leaf
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  

In saucepan, warm 1 tbsp olive oil. Place in 1 tsp of chopped rosemary and 1 sage leaf. When warm, add in pumpkin cubes and sauté. Let pumpkin brown and soften. Pour in plain tomato sauce and keep warm, add salt to taste.

Boil water for small shell pasta. Cook as directed on package. Drain pasta. Place pasta in saucepan with sauce and toss. Remove sage leaf. Serve immediately, place in individual serving dishes. Drizzle a tsp of extra virgin olive oil on top of each individual serving and sprinkle a pinch of chopped rosemary on each serving as well. Serve.