This Week #3 - Pumpkins 🥕🎃

It's about that time: pumpkins everywhere!

Hey friends,

Welcome to the third post of The Plant-Based Diet Club! If you have a question/suggestion you'd like me to write a post about, let me know here. I'll be happy to write about it in a future post.

Today’s post is all about Pumpkins! I realized I know very little about pumpkins, so the first part is a summary of some research I did, followed by a full day of pumpkin meals for you. Hope you’re feeling warm enough to follow along ☕

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Pumpkin time 🥧🥧🥧

I find their shape and colors fascinating. But I never know how to choose them. Also, are they a type of squash?! How many pumpkins and squashes are out there?

Here is what you need to know:

• Large pumpkins are perfect for Halloween decorations only. For cooking, go with the small ones.

• Pumpkins are packed with beta-carotene, are powerful antioxidants that support the immune system, promote health skin and may reduce cancer risk 🤓.

• Pumpkins are a type of winter squash. There are summer squashes (zucchini, yellow zucchini) and winter squashes (acorn, butternut, kabocha).

• Pumpkins, and most other types of winter squash, can be used interchangeably in recipes. If none is available, go with sweet potatoes 🍠.

• The taste goes from mildly sweet to nutty. Use them to add some color and texture to your soups, pasta sauces, or cereal 💡.

• When choosing a pumpkin or squash, make sure that the skin has a vibrant color, its exterior is hard enough that you can knock on it and hear a hollow sound. If possible, pick ones with the stem intact. Store them in a cool, dry place.

• The seeds are full of nutrition and great to add to salads, soups, granola, or eat them by themselves (I’ve done that). To easily remove the strings, soak them in water for a few minutes. Roast them in the oven for about 20min with soy sauce, or with your preferred spice.

• 1½ pounds of fresh pumpkin will give you about 1½ cups of pumpkin puree. It’s the same amount as a 15-ounce can of pumpkin.

• There are great 100% pure pumpkin puree canned options to buy, too 🥫.

• You can freeze pumpkin puree and cubes 🧊.

There are more than 140 varieties of pumpkins, why not pick a different one every week? 🤓

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Recipes 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

Now that we’ve learned about pumpkins, what about a full-day of eating them?! 🎃

🥣 Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding and Pumpkin Spice Latte

🍝 Lunch: Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese

🥧 Desert: Pumpkin Pie

☕ Any time: Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

🍲 Dinner: Traditional Herb-Crusted Butternut Squash Tenderloin

Although a Butternut Squash is not technically a pumpkin, and my photography skills are very limited, I wanted to share my first time baking a squash. We made this last Christmas. This requires a bit more time, but I promise it’s worth it!

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Happy Halloween!

Here is my online treat for you:

👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

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If you like horror games, Steam has started their Halloween sale! I bought Blair Witch and that’s probably how I am going to spend my day. Oh, I created an Instagram account, in case you want to see my amateur food pics.

What about you?

• How much of a pumpkin expert are you?

• Do you have a special recipe to share?

• What are your plans for the Halloween?

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Have a great weekend, and as always, thank you for reading. 👋