Did you ever think you would hear the words “healthy” and “Thanksgiving” in the same sentence?
Turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin – all nutritious foods. What brings on the food coma is all the fat and sugar we add to them. Lest you think I’m the Grinch that stole Thanksgiving, I bring you award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas, author of “Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet” (Chronicle, $35), who has created a satisfying pumpkin dessert that won’t leave you overstuffed.
Pumpkin pie? A guilty pleasure. Pumpkin? Chosen by Melissa’s Produce, the country’s largest distributor of exotic fruits and vegetables, as one of that 50. Pumpkins are a significant source of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium, and have a long history.
Seeds of related plants have been discovered in Mexico dating back to 7000 to 5500 B.C. Native American Indians cut them into strips, dried them and wove them into mats. Early American colonists enthusiastically adopted the large, unwieldy orange fruit (yes, it’s a fruit!) grown by the Native Americans and recommended them for removing freckles and curing snakebites.
Harvested in the fall, the pumpkin has become an icon of both Halloween and Thanksgiving.
While Thomas suggests baking whole pumpkins as a container for soups or stews, mini pumpkins are ideal for single servings and would make attractive and delicious vessels for – what else? – pumpkin soup, as a preview to the meal ahead. To bake the pumpkins, slice off the top and place them in a roasting pan. Add one inch of water and bake at 325 degrees until the flesh is tender, about 30 minutes. Before filling, leave them inverted to dry.
For the recipe featured here, use either mini pumpkins or baby pumpkins.
“Mini pumpkins are smaller than a softball,” writes Thomas. “They are squatty and deeply fluted and hold about 1/4 cup filling. Baby pumpkins are slightly larger, usually softball size and will hold about 1/2 cup filling. For the pie filling, look for orange pumpkins identified as ‘sweet’ or ‘pie’ pumpkins. They have thicker, sweeter flesh and are intended for cooking rather than carving.”
For an extra touch, make piecrust leaves: “Cut out leaf shapes from rolled out pie dough with a sharp knife or cookie cutter,” advises Thomas. “Use the back of the knife to create deep veins in the leaves. Place the leaves in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven until nicely brown, about 4 to 6 minutes.”
Fullerton’s Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook.” Her website is cookingjewish.com.
INDIVIDUAL PUMPKIN PIES IN THE SHELLS
These nutrient packed individual pies are baked in mini or baby pumpkins instead of pie crust. Diners can spoon up filling along with a little baked pumpkin to boost the nutritional benefits. Each serving contains 80 calories, zero fat and 16 grams total carbohydrates.
From “Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet” by Cathy Thomas
Ingredients:
• 12 to 15 mini pumpkins
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée or one (15-ounce) can solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Optional garnish: 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks; baked pie crust leaves
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut off top 1/2– to 1 inch of each pumpkin. Scoop out seeds, strings, and enough flesh to leave 1/2 inch of flesh on side sides and bottom.
2. Put egg whites in bowl of electric mixer; beat until frothy (tiny bubbles form). Add pumpkin, milk, sugar, pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
3. Fill each pumpkin to 1/4 inch below top edge. Place them in baking dish (or two, if necessary), without crowding. Add about 1 inch of hot water to bottom of each dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 35 to 45 minutes more, or until set. Filling should be puffy when it comes out of oven but will fall as it cools. Let pies cool 20 minutes before serving. If desired, top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a pie crust leaf.