Ah, fall is here, pumpkin season is here!!! I could eat pumpkin every day. It is such a healthy source of good carbs to give you energy throughout the day. The huge amount of Vitamin A helps with better eye sight. And pumpkin seeds are filled with zinc, a vital component to a healthy immune system.
You can use pumpkin in such a versatile way. I usually roast a whole tray for the week and add the roasted pumpkin to everything: salads, stews, stir fries, and batter for pancakes and muffins. Be creative with it.
In this recipe, I use the pumpkin to make a dessert like smoothie. The taste is inspired by the ever-present pumpkin spice flavors: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. All of them aid with digestion and keep your blood sugar more stable throughout the day (again, less energy crashes mid day).
Preparation time: 5 minutes (excludes pumpkin roasting time)
Makes 1 serving:
- 1 cup cold water
- ¾ cups roasted and cooled pumpkin (see below in bonus notes)
- ½ frozen banana
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener of your choice)
- 1 Tbsp almond butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- pinch each of ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and sea salt
Blend all ingredients for at least 90 seconds and drink right away. Will keep in the fridge for 2 days!
Enjoy!
Bonus note: to roast your pumpkin, peel it, take out the seeds, and chop into bite sized pieces. Mix with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and place in a roasting pan. Roast at 180ºC for 45 minutes to 1 hour until soft and slightly browned. Keep the roasting neutral (without any added spices), and you can use the finished pumpkin in many different ways: toss in salads, blend with broth into soup, add to stir fries or make your next batch of hummus more interesting by blending it with the pumpkin.