Pumpkin Cream "Cheese"

This month’s featured ingredient: pumpkin

You might laugh at what constitutes an indulgence for me over the holidays. Yet even with my comparatively tame excesses, I’ve felt somewhat tuckered out post-Thanksgiving. It’s the same thing that client-after-client has expressed to me this week, after throwing some (or even all) dietary caution to the wind.

It’s for this reason that Andrea Livingston and I decided to extend the offer to Retreat: An Autumn Cleanse. We want to help you recover from the aftermath of the Thanksgiving feasting and those lingering cravings and nibblings. What better way to get into the holiday spirit than cleansing the body, mind, and soul with a gentle and delicious seasonal excursion?

One thing I love about this month’s recipEmail is that it’s Retreat Cleanse friendly. This cream “cheese” is a perfect snack that’s in keeping with the scrumptious food that awaits you on this protocol. See further below for more details and what people are saying about Retreat.

Pumpkin Cream “Cheese”

Pumpkins are not just about Halloween. In fact the pumpkin is an indigenous Native American plant that sustained many folk through the cold months of winter due to its hardy skin and its ability to be stored for long periods of time.

This pumpkin cream “cheese” was inspired by one of the three pies I made with my niece, Maya, over Thanksgiving. I came home and tweaked that recipe a bit, lost the crust, and wa-la, we’ve found a new family favorite.

We’ve eaten it on buckwheat date-pecan quick bread, flax crackers, and all by itself, sliver-by-sliver, until only the tiniest morsel is left in the dish in the fridge. I know what I’m having for a snack!

ingredients:
1-1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked one to three hours
1-1/2 cups pureed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk *
1/2 cup gently melted coconut butter (Artisana brand or Nutiva Coconut Mana)
30 drops liquid stevia, vanilla flavored or 3 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons liquid vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

preparation:

1. Drain the soaked cashews, discarding the water. Place the nuts into a food processor and process them until a butter forms.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste to be sure that it meets your tastebuds. Since all pumpkins will be of varying degrees of sweetness, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve satisfied your taste buds before pouring the mixture from the food processor.
3. When the mixture meets your taste requirements, pour or spoon the contents of the bowl into a rectangular glass container in which you can store the cream “cheese”.
4. Allow the “cheese” to set in the fridge for at least two hours before trying to slice. You can store it covered there for up to four days. (Ours didn’t last so long!)

* Cost-effective cases of No-BPA canned coconut milk can now be obtained locally from Our Community Pantry! People’s Co-Op & New Seasons also carry this brand. Look for Native Forest.

For more info. on BPA in cans, stay tuned for next week’s Consumer’s Report from Replenish PDX.

Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree

It’s easier than you think. And the pumpkins and winter squashes are plentiful this time of year. Look for a small (and sweet!) sugar pumpkin. Acorn or kabocha squash would work well too.

1. With a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin or squash in half. Continue to cut those halves into half along the ribs into wedges, until you have eight wedges.
2. Scrape out all the pulp from the pumpkin’s cavity.
3. Remove the outer skin with a vegetable peeler.
4. Boil or steam slices until the flesh turns bright orange and soft. About 20 minutes. (You can prick with a fork to test its done-ness.)
5. When soft, remove the slices or chunks with a set of tongs. Let cool to room temperature.
6. Scoop out the soft flesh (from the shell). Blend or puree in a food processor until smooth.

Pumpkin’s Perks

Pumpkins and winter squashes are best eaten when fully ripe. Yet its the younger and smaller gourds that will have the sweetest flavor. That taste is earthy and rich and nutritionally fibrous.

The Health Benefits of pumpkin include:

Pumpkins are a great source of carotene ~ one of our major antioxidants that helps to protect us against certain kinds of cancer (particularly lung cancer), as well as heart disease.

Diets rich in carotene ~ like our orange fleshed pumpkins ~ also offer protection against the development of diabetes. Pumpkins in particular are helpful in the body’s management of blood sugar metabolism and beneficial for the health of the pancreas, where our blood sugar regulating insulin is produced.

Pumpkin provides some good vitamins and minerals including:

• vitamin C
• several B vitamins including B1, B6, folic acid & niacin
• potassium
• dietary fiber
• plus those pro-vitamin A carotenes!

Pumpkins are helpful in the relief of bronchial asthma. They promote the health of the lungs and throat as well. In fact, in European folk medicine pumpkin is acknowledged as a potent remedy in the treatment of respiratory and digestive ailments.

Getting More Pumpkin in Your Diet:
I love pumpkin. My biggest challenge is always in the cutting. Once there, I’m game for pumpkin any time:

Cut your small pumpkin in half, pierce the outer edge with a fork, and bake, flesh-side-down in a roasting pan for 45 minutes to an hour at 350F. You can serve it with ghee, coconut oil, or pastured butter, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and a pinch of salt, right in the half-shell.

Chop or slice pumpkin into cubes or rounds and bake with some coconut oil and salt for a delicious treat.

Replace mashed pumpkin for mashed potatoes as a side dish tonight.

Use leftover mashed or cubed pumpkin in morning grains with chopped nuts, coconut sugar, and coconut or nut milk.

Add to fall smoothies with ginger and cloves.

Mix some pureed pumpkin into breads, pancakes, waffles, muffins, or quick breads to boost their nutrition and fiber content.

Add chunks to winter soups or stews or make a delicious pumpkin soup.

What to Do with the Pumpkin Seeds:
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of essential fatty acids, zinc, and they’re super beneficial for the prostate. Eat up guys! To prepare you’re own. . .

1. Remove the seeds from the halved or quartered pumpkin.
2. Wash and clean the seeds while they’re still moist.
3. Set them out to air dry by spreading them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Transfer the seeds to a dry baking sheet and drizzle lightly with oil and your desired spices.
5. Roast them in the oven for 30 minutes at 350F, shaking the pan occassionally to avoid burning.

Have a delightful December.