PUMPKINS—Not Just for Scary Faces!October 24, 2011
Filed under: Recipes - greenacres @ 4:34 PM
Halloween is just around the corner! And that means that everywhere you turn grocery stores, churches, and local farmers are all vending their pumpkin wares for that special night. You can paint them, cut them out into scary faces, places them decoratively on your porch with hay bales, dried corn stalks, and fall mums…and cook with them! Pumpkins aren’t just for crafts; they’re low in calories and fat, and they’re a great source of all kinds of healthful vitamins and minerals with amazing health benefits:
Great source of Beta carotene--The rich orange color is a dead give away to the nutrients present in pumpkin. Research shows that people who eat a diet rich in beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers than those who fail to include beta-carotene-rich foods in their diet—and we all know it’s good for our eyes!
Loaded with Potassium--Studies show people who have a potassium rich diet lower the risk for hypertension. Potassium rich foods include bananas, broccoli, avocados, pomegranate and many others. It’s also an important mineral for athletes as it is one of the primary actors in building and repairing muscle.
Zinc---Not only is zinc a major boost for your immune system, it also aids in bone density support for people at risk for osteoporosis.
High in Fiber---Diets rich in fiber may prevent cancer, heart disease and other serious ailments.
Antioxidants to help fight signs of aging skin—Pumpkins contains lots of anti-oxidant vitamins A and C that fight free radicals, as well as zinc and alpha-hydroxy-acids which help to reduce the signs of aging in your skin.
Orange Pumpkin Loaf
Check out this twist on an old favorite. The orange in this pumpkin loaf coupled with sweet raisins and crunchy walnuts creates a perfect storm of healthful foods and fabulous flavors. Make this sweet bread for a chilly weekend breakfast, a holiday gathering, or as munchies while sipping cocoa…you can’t go wrong!
Ingredients
- 1 large orange
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped raisins
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- Cut orange into wedges, and remove seeds. Place orange, peel and all, in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the pumpkin, water, and the ground orange. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir into batter just until moistened. Stir in nuts and raisins. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.
Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving (Serving=1/12 of 9"x5" loaf pan) Calories: 286 | Total Fat: 9.5g | Cholesterol: 49mg
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Orange-Pumpkin-Loaf/Detail.aspx
