What do you mean Halloween has come and Gone!!!

I enjoyed writing this so much last month for production.....but no production came about.....So l decided to post it again, mainly because l was so proud of the Organic pumpkins we produced on our Co-Operative allotment in the heart of the Midlands, and the fact that l produced so much nice food and meals out of the subsequent cooking jaunt!


Foods Of the Week:  Halloween. (Ok, it's over, but lm still stuck in summer mode so give me a chance!)

Don't throw away all the flesh please

                                  
Foods of Halloween week (Autumn has almost been and gone but who cares)....could only Pumpkin and Apples...or Carving lanterns and apple bobbing if your American (lm not....No comment!)

 An apple is for life...not just for bobbing

So you have your Pumpkin lanterns at the ready and the apples ready for Bobbing...but how good are these scary but delicious foods and just how easy is it to cast the spell that turns them into wonderful healthy treats!



Pumpkins:
Coming from the Greek word "pepon", today’s Pumpkins, not just a Halloween Candle Holder, but a wonderful Seasonal vegetable for the Autumn months.

Coming in various shapes and sizes with many different varieties, Pumpkin is rich in Vitamins and Minerals, as well as possible potent antioxidants, with both the flesh and seeds nutritionally beneficial.

Low in Calories and fat, Pumpkins benefit from being rich in nutrients such as:

* Alpha-carotene (converted by the body into Vitamin A)
* Beta-carotene   (converted by the body into Vitamin A)
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin E
* Potassium
* Magnesium
* Panthothenic acid
* Manganese
* Dietry Fiber

High in nutrients but low in calories, Pumpkin's variety of nutrient benefits may act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents as well as powerful antioxidants that assist with a strong Immune system as part of a well balanced diet, while levels of Dietry Fibre help with Blood sugar control and healthy digestion

 

Pumpkin Recipes: Easy & Nutritious

Steamed Pumpkin, Pumpkin Soup and Spicy Pumpkin Stew

Steamed Pumpkin and Feta Salad:            

- Peel the outer skin of the pumpkin and removed flesh and seeds (keep seeds to one side).
- Cut up Pumpkin into 1inch squares and fill two desert bowls with Pumpkin
- Steam using electric or Bamboo/Stainless steel stove-top steamer for 7 minutes

With some lemon Juice and Organic Extra virgin olive oil, pepper and sea salt mix and make a dressing. Add crumbled feta cheese, fresh rosemary and sage to steamed Pumpkin on a bed of Rocket or Baby spinch, along with dressing for quick easy snack.
Adding fresh chilli and Turmeric to dressing can add extra Kick as well as highly beneficial extra elements to this nutritious meal.

 Soup             

-Adding steamed Pumpkin to a pan with 1-2 cups of vegetable stock, 3 Tbs of coconut milk (canned tomatoes as an alternative) and bring to the boil.
- Fresh Ginger, Turmeric, sea salt and pepper to taste
- Blend with hand blender or food processor
-Wait to bring to slight boil and well heated through and serve.

 

 

 

Spicy Stew          

-Add already Steamed Pumpkin to a pan with a chopped red onion (cut and leave onion for 5 minutes before adding), along with4-6 chopped Organic/home grown carrots- 

-Red and green Chillies 

-1 pint of water

- Tsp Cumin, Paprika and Turmeric
- 1 carton of Organic Chopped Tomatoes
- Separately Stem fry fresh prawns with olive oil and 1 Tbs of water
- Bring soup to boil and cook for 15 minutes and then Blend with mixer/processor for 1 minute
- Add cooked prawns (chicken or turkey as other options) to soup, along with carton of Organic Butter beans
- Add Organic brown Basmati rice or Spelt or Buckwheat pasta according to taste
- Cook for further 15 minutes

Enjoy!



Apples:           

Forget all those bobbing apples in the bowl of water from the ancient Celtic tradition, and most recent North American association, apples have so much more to offer.

Coming from the Latin word “Pome”, apples originate from the Rose family and are associated with Love and Fertility.
In their many different varieties of colour, shape and size, apples are rich in Flavonoid and Phenolic antioxidants as well a good source of Vitamin C.
Apples also contain good amounts of Dietry fiber for Balanced Blood sugar and healthy digestion.

Whether part of a dessert or salad, apples are a great snack being low in calories.
As a seasonal fruit especially around autumn time, and apart from bobbing at Halloween and your mothers Traditional Apple crumble, what else can this Super Fruit do!

Apple Sundae:  

-         2 Apples cut into quarters and cored, add chopped almonds and grated coconut

-         In a small bowl, add home made almond butter to 3-4 Tbs of Organic Honey

-         Drizzle almond/honey sauce over apples and chopped nuts for quick easy dessert.

Add Homemade Granola and cinnamon for something a bit different.

Breakfast apple:             

-Diced apple, Organic Natural yogurt, chopped almonds, walnuts and Pumpkin seeds, raisins and Honey. Great as a Snack taken to work!

To bake apples in the Oven will means beneficial nutrients such as Vitamins, Antioxidants and enzymes can easily be destroyed.

So keep it natural, quick and easy.

And Eat such foods anytime of the year, just replace Pumpkin if not available, with Butter nut squash and steamed sweet potato. 

Tom, Barbara, Jerry and of course Margo!

Try Growing your own on your own allotment or prepare a patch of garden...or a friends garden....just ask them first, Im not Jerry and this is not the Good Life.

It's a Great Life!                            

Enjoy!

P.S It's Christmas soon so l have been told, though l was till hoping for summer sun until the reality of shop front Christmas lights and That's What l call Christmas Music Vol. 76 playing everywhere.....

So soon will come our run up to Christmas, Good Food, good nutrition, good health that will be happy and healthy for all...

Except maybe for people like me who still wish it was Summer!