Bring on the Pumpkins!

I love fall.  I love the crisp air and the changing leaves.  Most of all, I love fall produce.  Bring on the squashes, greens, apples and sweet potatoes.  And bring on the pumpkins!  The best part is, these fruits and vegetables are packed with cancer-fighting carotenoids which may inhibit cancer cell growth, work as antioxidants and improve immune response.  They are also delicious.

As we dive full force into Pumpkin Show and eat our hearts out with all the amazing pumpkin recipes, let us not forget the humble yet extremely tasty pumpkin seed or pepita.  Pumpkin seeds pack a strong nutritional punch.  They are a great source of protein and many essential minerals.  They also provide polyunsaturated fatty acids.  They are also nutty and yummy.

In Mexico, the historical origin of the pumpkin, pepitas are prized little gems that are used in a variety of sauces and soups.  There is a type of sauce or mole called Pipian that features these might green kernels of goodness.  It is creamy without having dairy.  It is rich without adding too much extra fat.  And, what’s best, I adapted a recipe from Rick Bayless that uses store-bought salsa that can be made in half an hour and may just get your kids to eat something green!

Check out my blog to read the full recipe and some of the tips I have about where to get the pepitas and salsa and how to adapt the recipe for picky little finger feeders.  I also included a recipe for roasting your own pumpkin seeds, if you’re feeling ambitious.  Happy Pumpkin Show!

Pink My Diet

Cancer is very prevalent in my family.  My mother is a breast cancer survivor.  And with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and my age creeping ever higher toward my mid-thirties (that can’t be right), I’m really starting to think seriously about breast cancer prevention.  This prompted a call to one of my best friends, a breast surgeon at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.  “What can I do to help prevent breast cancer?”

My friend pointed me to several studies that link diet and weight directly to breast cancer risk.  First of all, I need to get myself down to a healthy weight.  That means losing 20 pounds (gulp).  Scientists believe that the estrogen production in fatty cells may be the connection between obesity and breast cancer risk.  Research shows that my diet needs to be about two-thirds plant based, with foods that have low calorie density and are low in fat.  I need to cut out a lot of red meat and limit my alcohol.  I guess it’s true, you are what you eat. 

The other main thing I need to do is GET MOVING!  Studies show that we need about 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day to help keep breast cancer at bay.  If getting into those skinny jeans wasn’t a motivator, surely preventing cancer will get me up on my feet every day!

Come on in to The Fork & Spoon for our new lunch buffet.  Every Tuesday – Friday from 11 to 1 we’ve got soup, salad and pasta for $5.49!  Let’s start this healthy living together!

Garlic Refried Black Beans

Making homemade refried beans is really easy and so worth it.  You can control the taste and variety and amount of fat.  When I want to be indulgent, I use bacon grease, but usually I use Canola or Olive Oil to cook the beans.  This recipe is a variation on the "typical" refried beans.  I like to only use garlic to give the beans a real rich, creamy flavor.

Garlic Refried Black Beans

1 bag of dried black beans
4 - 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 C oil or bacon fat



Cook the dried beans according to the instructions.  Usually you have to soak them and then cook them for a couple hours.  Don't salt the water in the beginning.  It hardens the beans, and they take longer to cook.  Once they are soft, then you can add salt to taste.  Don't go overboard, just enough to add a little flavor.  Then puree the beans using an immersion or regular blender with some of the cooking liquid.  You want them to be a little runnier than what you want as refried beans.
After the beans are done, heat the oil or bacon fat to medium high in a pan and sauté the garlic and until they begin to get soft.  Be very careful not to cook the garlic too long because burnt garlic will make the beans taste bitter.  Take out all the garlic with a slotted spoon.  Add your pureed beans to the oil.  Cook the beans until they start to get nice and thick and you can smell that they are toasting a little bit.  Careful not to burn them!  

You can keep these beans in the fridge for a long time.  They are great in quesadillas, on tostadas and alongside some warm brown rice!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

You can make this as spicy as you like by increasing or decreasing the amount of chiles.  And the secret to great salsa is to not forget the salt!  Think of salsa as adding seasoning.  You want it to be a little salty.  Then, you'll want to put it on everything!  This is a good way to use all those late summer tomatoes from the garden!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

8 Juicy Red Tomatoes

1 small Onion

3 Cloves of Garlic

3 Tb finely chopped Cilantro

1 Serrano Chile

Salt

 Add all the ingredients to your food processor and puree.  Salt to taste!