Peace, Love, and Food

I was super excited when I found out the Recipe Redux theme for October was PUMPKIN! I was even more inspired when I read the challenge was to try and use fresh pumpkin. I’m not going to lie I usually use canned pumpkin in my cooking because it’s convenient. But I was excited to use this opportunity to cook with fresh pumpkin for the first time.

When cooking with fresh pumpkin, you don’t want to buy the big ol’ jack-o-lantern pumpkins, you want the small “cooking pumpkins” or “pumpkin pie pumpkins”.

To cook pumpkins, you can boil them in a pot of water or you can roast them in the oven. To roast in the oven, I cut the pumpkins in half and then removed all the pulp and seeds.

Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour. Make sure the cut sides of the pumpkin face down on the baking sheet.

One your beautiful pumpkins are cooked, scoop out all that pumpkin goodness and place in a food processor to puree.

Hello, pumpkin puree!

Once I had my pumpkin puree ready to go, I was ready to take it to the next step and create my pumpkin appetizer for my family’s “Ottofest”. I wanted to create a dip for apple slices and decided to make a pumpkin dip using some good ol’ Greek yogurt.

Pumpkin Yogurt Dip

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 

1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla

Green apples and/or graham crackers for dipping

Beat cream cheese and Greek yogurt in a medium size bowl. Stir in pumpkin puree until mixed well. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, agave nectar, and vanilla and stir to combine. Slice up some green apples for dipping! Or, use Graham crackers for a different kind of crunch!

Serve up the pumpkin dip at your next Fall party or use as the perfect after school snack you and your kids won’t be able to resist.

Enjoy! Happy Fall!

Peace, love, and food,

Kara

 If you missed last month’s Recipe Redux for Edamame Hummus, catch the recipe here.

For more pumpkin heaven, check out what the other Recipe Reduxers cooked up this October:

• Cherie Schetselaar – Grain Crazy – Fresh Pumpkin Risotto
• Alexandra Caspero- Delicious Knowledge – Pumpkin Enchiladas
• Katie Hamm – Healthy & Happy Hour – Pumpkin-Bacon Ravioli
• Alysa Bajenaru – Inspired RD – Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Fries
• Everyday Tastiness – Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
• Dr Barb, Nutriton Budgeteer – Pumpkin Chili Chicken Pizza
• Elizabeth Jarrard- Don’t (White) Sugar Coat It – Vegan Pumpkin Soup
• Kristen Bourque- Swanky Dietitian – baked pumpkin oatmeal
• Marie Spano – Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
• Regan @ The Professional Palate – Pumpkin Ravioli in a Walnut-Sage Cider Sauce
• Danielle Omar – Food Confidence RD – Pumpkin Goulash
• Emma @ The Hearty Heart – (Vegan) Cocoa Pumpkin (Whiskey) Mousse
• gretchen – kumquat – baked mini pumpkins
• Emma Stirling – The Scoop on Nutrition – Recipe Redux Chermoula Chickpea & Pumpkin Sliders
• Janel Funk: Eat Well with Janel – Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
• Nicole @ Whole Health RD – Kaddo Bourani – Candied Pumpkin with Yogurt and Meat Sauce
• Yuri – Chef Pandita – Pumpkin Apple Soup
• Lisa @ Healthful Sense – Pumpkin Cream Pie Filling & Pudding
• Jessica Fishman Levinson – Nutritioulicious – Recipe Redux: Pumpkin Pancakes
• Kat Lynch – Eating The Week – Pumpkin yogurt dip for waffle sticks
• Katie Caputo- East Meats West – Pumpkin Stuffing
• Serena @ Teaspoon of Spice – Whole Pumpkin Cheddar Gratin
• Kristina @ Love and Zest – Pumpkin Mash
• Carrie Miller – Nutrition Know How – Baked Stuffed Pumpkin & Pumpkin Orange Muffins
• Ann Dunaway Teh – Eat to Nourish, Energize & Flourish – Pumpkin, Squash and Apple Soup
• Kara Lydon – Peace, Love, and Food – Pumpkin Yogurt Dip
• Stephanie Howard – Give Them Something Better – Fall Harvest Chili
• Karman Meyer-Nutrition Adventures – Pumpkin-Potato Breakfast Hash
• Ayla Withee- Eat Simply – Salt and Vinegar Pumpkin Seeds
• Heather Calcote – Dietitian on the Run – Pumpkin Rosemary & Mushroom Quinoa
• Jill Melton-The Relish Dish – Ham and Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin
• EA-The Spicy RD – Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta
• Liz Weiss & Janice Newell Bissex – Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen – Ghoulishly Good Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin
• Diane Welland – Eat Well, Eat Clean – Pumpkin Cranberry Scones