Healthy Recipes to Kick Off Your Pumpkin Eating Season!

With Halloween being the official kick off to Pumpkin Eating Season, we rounded up a few sumptuous, yet healthy recipes to help you enjoy the Season in tasty fashion. Starting with those delectable seeds…
Smoke & Spice & Everything Nice Pumpkin Seeds
Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 ½ cup unshelled, raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 4 to 5 squirts olive oil spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and separate them from the stringy pulp and rinse the seeds in a colander under cold water. Shake off any excess water, spread the seeds on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes or until seeds are dry, tossing halfway through.
In another small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt and brown sugar.
Place the seeds in a medium bowl and lightly spray with oil. Add 3/4 of the spice mixture and toss to evenly coat.  Evenly spread the seeds on a sheet pan covered with parchment and roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until brown and crunchy, tossing half way through. Immediately spray more olive oil over the seeds and toss with the remaining spice mixture.
We know we’re in Texas and fall isn’t always a season for us, but we can pretend the leaves are changing and the wind is blowing from the north by whipping up tasty soups and cranking the A/C down.
This pumpkin soup takes us Far East and is loaded with vein-healthy ingredients like ginger root, onions and green chilies.
So grab your blender or food processor and Thai one on!
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients

• 1/2 large onion, peeled, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cups (305 g) canned pumpkin
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
• 1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut cream
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk
• 1/2 Tablespoon chopped green chilies
• 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper

Directions

• Sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Add tomato paste, pumpkin, ginger, garlic, broth, coconut cream and coconut milk. Combine until thoroughly heated through.
• Place mixture, chilies, and lemon juice into your blender or food processor and secure lid.
• Blend for 2 1/2 minutes or until smooth.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, and sour cream or plain yogurt.

 
 
Shake up your morning breakfast smoothie routine with this lip-smacking, protein-punch pumpkin goodness.
Pumpkin Protein Shake

Ingredients

• 1 cup Silk brand unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) (link to Pioneer Woman recipe)
• 1 teaspoon honey, agave nectar, or sweetener of choice
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 medium banana
• 6 ice cubes

Instructions
Add all ingredients to a blender and process until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetener, if desired.
 
 
If you don’t already have a hummus obsession, you’re about to develop one.
Pumpkin Hummus with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients
For the hummus:
1 cup reduced-sodium chickpeas
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp coconut oil, melted + additional for drizzling, if desired.
For the chips:
1 qhole wheat tortilla
1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Truvia, for sprinkling
Cinnamon, for sprinkling
Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and rub a cookie sheet with melted coconut oil, set aside.
2. To de-skin the chickpeas: Drain the chickpeas and spread them out on a paper towel. Gently squeeze each chickpea until the thin,papery skin comes off. Repeat with remaining chickpeas
3. Add the chickpeas, pumpkin , maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and 2 tsps of coconut oil into a small food processor and process until smooth. You may need to stop the processor and scrape down the sides every so often to get everything smooth and mixed, depending on how strong your processor is.
4. Cut the tortilla into 8 triangles and lay on the prepared cookie sheet. Brush with 1/2 of the melted coconut oil and then sprinkle with cinnamon and Truvia. No need to use an exact measurement, just give a good pinch of Truvia for each chip.
5. Bake for 8 mins, or until lightly golden. Flip the tortillas, brush with remaining oil and sprinkle with more cinnamon and Truvia. Bake for another 7-8 minutes until the tortillas are a deep golden, brown. They will not seem crunchy at first, as the Truvia will melt. But, once the chips cool and Truvia hardens, you will nice and crunchy chips
6. Drizzle the hummus with additional melted coconut oil, if desired, and DEVOUR with the chips!

Who said dips are just for appetizers? This one keeps the party going to the end!
Creamy Cheesy Pumpkin Dessert Dip

Ingredients
15 oz can of canned pumpkin
8 oz of whipped topping
2 cups of powdered sugar (or other sweetener)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Graham Crackers, Ginger Snaps, or Vanilla Wafers
Instructions

1. Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar (or sweetener substitute) in a large bowl.
2. Add canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.
3. Fold in whipped topping or whipped cream. Place in a new bowl. Cover and chill for one hour.
4. Serve with graham crackers, ginger snaps, or vanilla wafers.

Happy Pumpkin Eating Season, Y’all!! Let us know what you think of the recipes