Why You Should Be Eating More Pumpkin

Pumpkin is packed with nutritional value, and makes a great addition to any healthy diet. It’s filled with fiber, and low in calories. It’s high in vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and potassium. Plus, it tastes so very good!

I’m a pretty lazy cook, so I use canned pumpkin, which is easily available during the fall months, and hidden in the baking aisle with the pie fillings during the rest of the year. Be sure to purchase pumpkin or pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains spices and fillers, rather than just plain old pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe

I always end up with bunch of canned pumpkin after Thanksgiving, thanks to the 10 for a dollar sales my local grocery store invariably runs. As a result, I’ll put pumpkin in just about anything that holds still long enough. This recipe for pumpkin cornbread produces a thick, moist, slightly sweet bread that is packed with extra fiber and vitamins.

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons flax meal
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another bowl, combine the flax meal, water, coconut oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
5. Pour the pumpkin, and the bowl of wet ingredients, into the large bowl of dry ingredients.
6. Stir until all the dry ingredients are wet. The batter will be thick. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom, to get all the dry ingredients mixed together.
7. Pour into the greased pan, and bake for 35 minutes. The cornbread will have a hard crust on top, but will give slightly to the touch.
8. Cool until you can hold the pan in your hands without protection. Cut into squares, and serve with Earth Balance spread.