Desserts, Lunch & Dinner, Recipes, Smoothies, Videos

How to Cook a Pumpkin? (and 3 recipes)

What to do with a pumpkin?

You want to enjoy the beautiful pumpkins and squashes you see on the market but don’t know what to do with them…

There’s no image that better represents autumn than the pumpkins we see in the markets today.

But they don’t come with instruction books, so what to do with them besides soup?

This week I’m going to show you what to do with different pumpkins and squashes in this article and the corresponding video.

These are three practical ways to cook pumpkin, healthy recipes, easy, quick, and a little “out of the box”, to learn what to do with the various pumpkins that jump into your shopping basket.

Watch the video by clicking on the image (in Portuguese):

Eating pumpkin: what are the health benefits?

The various pumpkins are part of the Cucurbitaceae family, a vast family of crawling stem plants, of which the various “pumpkins” are the fruit.

And if you know all the orange pumpkins that appear in autumn, and which we are talking about today, maybe you didn’t realize that the courgette is also part of this family, as well as the cucumber, the melon, and the watermelon!

Both the normal pumpkin – large, rounded and with cut buds – and the smaller species like Hokkaido, Kabocha and Butternut, contain fantastic micro-nutrients for health. Which justifies eating them more regularly and hence this article!

The various species of orange pumpkin are particularly rich in vitamin A (in the form of alpha and beta-carotene), vitamin C, and vitamin E, making them small antioxidant and anti-aging powers.

This antioxidant effect will protect the body – our cells – from oxidative stress and the inflammatory effect which in the medium term is associated with aging in general and the appearance of chronic diseases including cancer.

Do not forget also the usual association of vitamin A with eye health…

In terms of mineral salts, pumpkins contain relevant amounts of iron, magnesium, potassium, and folates.

This combination of vitamins and minerals will also help strengthen the immune system in general, which is particularly interesting during the colder seasons.

The combined effect of potassium, vitamin C, and fiber can promote cardiovascular health, contributing to the regulation of blood pressure and the control of so-called “bad cholesterol” (LDL).

In addition, pumpkins contain plenty of fiber, contributing to better digestion, a feeling of satiety after meals, and, as a result, weight control.

All good reasons to eat more of these nice vegetables!

And now…

How to cook with pumpkin (and squashes)?

Pumpkin and Orange Smoothie

This smoothie was inspired by a dessert my mother makes always at Christmas and on some birthdays. It’s already a classic from back home. And it’s called Love Candy and it’s made with pumpkin, almond and lots of sugar!

Obviously, I removed all the sugar, and added orange juice to make up for it, and also to refresh the taste of the smoothie.

This smoothie is perfect for boosting your immunity this time of year, because of all the vitamins and minerals the pumpkin contains.

Check out the recipe HERE.

Quince and Butternut Squash Crumble

Crumble is one of my favorite desserts. But today I know that topping is anything but healthy for my digestion, which is quite sensitive to gluten. So I’ve investigated an alternative way to get an interesting crust without the flour and by the way all that sugar!

This recipe, with the quinces and the pumpkin, becomes a small taste of autumn, which you can eat for dessert, as a snack, and even for breakfast. It doesn’t last long around here!

You can combine the crumble with natural coconut yogurt, for an interesting contrast of textures.

Check out the recipe HERE.

Winter salad with baked Hokkaido pumpkin in two ways

In winter I find it very interesting to create salads that combine cooked vegetables with raw green leaves.

This recipe shows how you can create a varied flavor profile by seasoning the pumpkin halves in different ways. And how it looks so good to mix the two in the same salad.

But of course, you can also use only one of these seasonings at a time!

By choosing an organic pumpkin you ensure that it’s safe to eat the peel after it’s baked.

Check out the recipe HERE.

3 easy and healthy recipes with pumpkin!

Now you know what to do with a pumpkin! I hope you enjoyed the suggestions.

Of course, you might want to adjust the seasonings to your taste. Consider this a starting point. And do as Massimo Bottura says in his masterclass: “you have to taste, always taste, and adjust”!

How about recipes for pumpkin soup?

We don’t talk about soup here, because that was the theme of a past video. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly advise you to watch it, because all the recipes are great, and pumpkin soup is really special. I’ll leave you the link here:

Healthy and Easy Vegetable Soups

If you liked this week’s video, do like in the video and by the way, subscribe to the Youtube channel!

If you make any of these recipes, post it on Instagram, and don’t forget to tag Glow Chef for me to watch and share too.

Goodbye for now. Thank you for being here 🙏🏻

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *