What does Jim Gaffigan and pumpkins have in common?
All things pumpkin, recipe, health benefits, spooky Hallowe'en video, oh, and Gaffigan baffled by pumpkins video
🎃HAPPY PUMPKTOBER!🍁 Last week’s question found 50% of you guessing I loved turkey, 33% said pumpkin pie and 17% hit the stuffing button. The truth is I love pumpkin pie (stuffing would be a second). October is my favourite month for all the colours of the trees, the crispness in the air, and the best part of October, Hallowe’en. When I lived in Toronto we lived in the oldest house on the street and it was quite haunted. People would come from miles away to see what our theme was for each year. I am pretty sure I have traumatized a child or two unintentionally.
In the spirit of my favourite time of the year, I am sharing my Hallowe’en videos I have done and a couple of October recipes. This week, I am sharing my gluten-free crustless pumpkin pie. Or perhaps I should call it Pumpkin custard which is what pumpkin pie truly is. This is my keto/low carb version, however, you can easily swap out the sweetener for sugar.
This week’s question I am turning it over to you. Which month is your favourite?
This time last year we lucked out and had the entire State Fair of West Virginia in Lewisburg, West Virginia to ourselves. If you are an RVer, one of my secret weapons is seeking out state fairgrounds as they are typically empty with full hookups in between events. I decided to spruce up the tree across from our Motorcoach. It was fun to look out the front window and see Hallowe’en! I also tried out the HotLogic to see if it could keep melted chocolate and marshmallow perfectly for my Hallowe’en charcuterie board. It worked like a charm.
Since we are in full swing of Pumpkin month, let’s talk about the health benefits of pumpkin.
Often we think of pumpkins just as a big orange carving canvas. I loved carving pumpkins as a kid and having my father roast the seeds. It was such a magical time of the year. The only way I knew to eat pumpkin was as a pie. Who knew that my tastebuds could be enlightened to different ways of enjoying orange squash.
Pumpkin is one of the most nutrient-dense fruits you can eat. It is full of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, folate and potassium. Pumpkin also contains beta-carotene, which our body converts into vitamin A. This time of the year we need vitamins A and D to help keep our immune system healthy especially since we are being fed by the media that the flu season is going to be terrible this year.
If you are trying to lose weight or sticking to a keto or low-carb diet, pumpkin is your queen of foods. 1 cup of cooked pumpkin contains 49 calories and about 7 net carbs. It’s exciting to get excited about pumpkins.
Pumpkins are loaded with naturally occurring minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, and a good source of folic acid and choline important for healthy cells.
What makes pumpkin perfect for low-carb, low-glycemic diets is all that fiber, in fact, 1 cup yields 2.7 grams. Fiber feeds our beneficial gut bacteria. Since 80% of our immune system comes from our gut bacteria, we need to feed them more pumpkins!
Did you know when you get enough fiber in your diet it slows down the rate of sugar turning into glucose in your blood? This means less fat, less inflammation, and fewer blood sugar issues, and helps bring down your cholesterol and triglyceride counts on blood labs. This also translates into weight loss.
Fiber bulks up our stool which can help bind to excess estrogens and toxins and take them out of our body so they do not harm us. Bulky stools mean healthy bowel movements more often. Which means less constipation, bloating, gas and gurgling.
I know we just spent three weeks talking about eye floaters, guess what? Pumpkin provides your daily serving of beta-carotene, vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin, which helps keep those peepers healthy.
Have you heard of retinol? I bet you have when it comes to healthy skin. Natural retinol found in pumpkin stimulates the production of new skin cells and supports the production of collagen. In fact, it’s better to eat pumpkin than to consume highly processed powdered collagen!
What about those pumpkin seeds?
Pumpkin seeds especially raw are high in zinc, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, iron and copper. They also contain antioxidants B vitamins and folate.
When it comes to the gut, pumpkin seeds contain anti-microbial properties to inhibit pathogenic microbes from making us sick. The fiber helps feed the beneficial bacteria that keep our immune system healthy. I have my clients grind pumpkin seeds as part of their fiber mix for a healthy microbiome.
A healthy microbiome feeding off of antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds helps protect against cancer such as stomach, breast, lung, prostate and colon cancers.
How to add more pumpkin to your diet
If you make a shake in the morning, try adding 1/4 cup of pumpkin. Add a little cinnamon and you are on your way to the heath-protecting aspects of the happy orange squash.
Roast pieces of pumpkin in the oven. Add a little ghee, sprinkle some cinnamon, and roast at 350 for 40-45 minutes. So good!
If you have a favourite muffin recipe, swap out the oil for equal amounts of pureed (canned) pumpkin.
If you have some ideas on how to add more pumpkin to our diet, go ahead and leave a comment. I would love to see how you are doing it!
Oh, the answer about whether a pumpkin is a fruit or not; it’s true! Pumpkin is considered a fruit because the seeds are on the inside.
I absolutely love pumpkin pie. Since I became gluten intolerant many moons ago, I have been searching for the perfect pumpkin pie recipe that was simple to make. This recipe makes every childhood memory come alive with each spoonful. I make mine low carb so, no crust but lots of whipped cream! Makes 8 servings however, if you like pumpkin pie as much as I do, it’s going to be more like 4 servings. Oh, and one more note. I do not use the entire 3/4 cup of Swerve. More like 3 heaping tablespoons. After keeping my pallet low carb, I have found a little sweetness goes a long way!
Pumpkin Custard
Gluten-free, low-carb, keto, paleo, healthy
Makes 8 servings
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 5-6 Hours
4 cup 1.5 L glass dish with lid
Non-bleached parchment paper
HotLogic Mini or HotLogic Max Oven
Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup granular swerve
1 tb ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream or heavy cream
1 15 oz can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
Garnish; 1 cup Heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch of powdered vanilla (optional)
In a 4-cup glass dish add the eggs and whisk with a fork. Add the 3/4 cup swerve and mix again. Add 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice and a pinch of ground nutmeg; whisk the spices into the egg mixture.
Add the 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream and mix to incorporate, paying attention to the corners. Add the pumpkin and thoroughly mix.
Add non-bleached parchment paper on top of the dish, add the lid and make sure it is secure. Place in HotLogic Mini and plug in. Let it cook for 5-6
Once cooked, you can either serve it hot or place the dish in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to cool and set.
To serve scoop out 1/4 cup of pumpkin custard into a bowl add a dollop of fresh whipped whipping creaam, sprinkle a little cinnamon and vanilla and enjoy.
If you want you can make this the night before and let it cook overnight. Pumpkin custard for breakfast? Why not!
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Cheers,
~Karen