Pumpkin Pie

Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of pumpkin pie. BUT I really enjoyed the filling in this one! It has a sweet finish without being too sweet. I wondered how others would receive it since it had less sugar than most pies. When taking it to a Thanksgiving meal, everyone loved it and there wasn’t a crumb left in the dish!

The Crust:
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, finely ground

2 teaspoons raw coconut crystals (this is evaporated coconut tree sap. You can also try date sugar or pure maple sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold organic* butter, cut into small pieces
2- 3 Tbs very cold water

Grind the oat in a coffee grinder until they become flour. Combine flour, ground oats, sweetener and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter using two knives until the mixture is crumbly (I use my fingers although your not suppose to as the heat of the hands will make the dough less flakey.) Sprinkle with water; mixing until the mixture holds together.

Shape the dough into ball; place on lightly floured sheet of wax paper. Top with additional piece of wax paper; roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Don’t be surprised if the dough is a little tougher to roll.

Remove top sheet of wax paper and invert dough into 9-inch pie plate; slowly peel away wax paper. Trim excess crust. Turn edge under; crimp as desired.
Cover by placing it in a plastic bag and store it in the fridge while you prepare the filling.


The Filling:
The filling is tailored from Alice Water’s Joy of Cooking.

1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1 Tbs organic* butter, softened
1 cup organic* heavy cream
2 teaspoons flour
3 eggs
1/3 cup raw coconut crystals
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of fresh-ground black pepper

In a small saucepan whisk together 1/4 cup the cream with the flour. Heat the mixture over a low heat until it fully heats and thickens. Slowly whisk in the rest of the cream. Continue whisking until the mixture returns to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Mix the pumpkin purée, butter and eggs together in a medium bowl. In another bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt and pepper. Stir the sugar and spice mixture and the thickened cream into the pumpkin mixture.

Pour into the pie shell. Using a brush or your finger, dip into the remaining egg that tends to pool in the leftover eggshells and thinly coat the edges of the pie crust.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375, until the center is almost set. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting.

* Buying Organic Dairy Products: 
People often ask me what's "most important" to purchase organic if working with a budget. My answer is animal products. The dairy and meat industry has become unhealthfully contaminated with synthetic hormones, antibiotics, and harmful pesticides. Antibiotic overuse is a major public health problem and hormones are powerful that even trace amounts can cause dramatic changes in living beings. These agricultural methods have been implemented for the sake of profit at the expense of our health and the health of our planet.

Related Article: Truth or Dairy?

Sprouted Bread (known as Essene or Manna Bread)

The simplest bread of all: Grains and water, no additives necessary.

This bread has a moist consistency that resembles a hearty muffin. I often enjoy a slice topped with nut butter or honey as a light breakfast or a sweet snack.

Traditionally, the Hebrew tribes in ancient Egypt made Essene bread by grinding berry roots between rocks or millstones that were then laid to bake on stones heated by a fire or the sun.

These days we don't have to work quite as hard...

You can make your own essene bread or find it in the frozen bread section of your health food store.

Instructions for Making Your Own Essene Bread:
1.  Using 2 cups of dry wheat berries for each loaf, rinse the grains and cover them with twice the volume of water in a ceramic, metal or glass bowl, jar or pot. Cover with a screen or netting that will allow a flow of air and let soak overnight (at least eight hours).
2.  Drain in the morning and rinse at least twice a day for 3 to 4 days, keeping them covered with the netting. Make sure to drain out all the water each time you rinse while shaking the berries to prevent matting and spoiling.
3.  Allow the sprout hairs to grow at least the length of the berries and/or to be sweet to the taste before grinding. If they still taste starchy, give them another day of sprouting.
4.  Grind into a paste in a food processor, knead and shape into loaves (keeping them somewhat round and flat in shape.)
5.  Bake on a cookie sheet at low temperature (160-250°) for three to four hours or until browning occurs.
6.  Let cool and store. Refrigerate or freeze if intended to keep for more than three to four days.
7.  Cut with a wet and serrated knife, and enjoy!
8.  Variations: Add honey, seeds, or chopped nuts or fruit when making your bread.
* Ezekiel and other sprouted bread are made in a similar fashion from sprouted grains and water only with the addition of yeast.

Seasonal Pumpkin Oat Energy Balls

my solution to leftover pumpkin.... 

Balls:

2/3 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs dry roasted almond butter
1/4 cup apple sauce
2 cups quick cooking oats
1/3 cup pepita seeds (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup walnuts

Coating:
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup pepita seeds

For Balls: Mix pumpkin, maple, almond butter and apple sauce. Add in oats, nuts and seeds. Roll into two dozen balls.

For coating: In a coffee grinder, grind oats and pepita seeds into a flour. Pour the mixture onto a plate and roll each ball in the flour until covered.

Variation: Roll balls in shredded coconut instead of oat and pepita mixture.

Pumpkin-Oat Power Bar
Press the ball mixture into a 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Once cooled, cut into squares.

Winter Squash and Pumpkin Muffins!

Winter Squash

Not only sweet and filling, winter squash is known to have anti-cancer effects, is beneficial in fighting against diabetes and heart disease,  and is rich in the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene which contains anti-inflammatory properties.

The rich content of beta-carotene in winter quash makes it a healthy vegetable to fight against asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, all of which have inflammatory symptoms. Winter squash is also rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, which considerably lowers the risk of lung cancer.

Being high in fiber, winter squash helps lower cholesterol and protects the colon.

Not only does this vegetable provide us with its sweetness, its carotenoids help  regulate the blood sugar level. Its potassium content also helps lower blood pressure.

Gourmet Squash Recipe:

1 acorn squash
cooked grain (brown rice, quinoa, millet etc.)
dried cranberries  (preferably sweetened with apple juice concentrate rather than sugar)
1 onion
chard or kale
extra virgin olive oil
shredded goat or cow cheese (optional)

Cut squash in half, discard seeds, and place face down in baking dish with 1” water. Bake for 40 minutes at 375F until tender.
Sauté onion for 5 minutes, add greens until they soften 2-3 minutes.  Add cooked grain and cranberries, mix for another minute.   Stuff squash with grain mixture sprinkle cheese on top and bake face up for another 10-15 minutes.  Serve warm!

Daniel's Pumpkin Muffins (made with Quinoa!)

1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or from a can)
2 Tbs ground flax seeds mixed with 1/3 cup hot water, cooled for 10 minutes.
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½  tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups white whole-wheat flour**
additional 1/3 cup pecan pieces

Chop walnuts and 1/2 cup pecans. Add all other ingredients except flour and extra pecans and blend. Add flour and blend. Fold in in 1/3 cup pecan pieces.
Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes.

** White whole wheat is made from white wheat berries while standard whole wheat flour is made from red wheat. Still a whole grain flour, white wheat has a lighter texture and is great for baking.

HOW You Cook Affects How You Feel

Mom knows best. As the seasons change, so do the vegetables that Mother Nature provides. With the cooling temperatures of Fall, the vegetables we harvest are ones of a more grounding and warming nature.

When we eat right, the type of food we eat medicinally creates health and balance in our body.  Similarly, varying our cooking methods will do the same.

The way we prepare our food plays a role in the effect it has on our body. In the Fall and Winter it is best to cook our meals on a lower heat for a longer period of time. This releases the more warming quality of our food and provides a settling effect that in turn helps internalize our focus.

Baked foods, sautéed foods, heartier foods, and root vegetables all contribute towards the thickening of the blood. When living in a cold climate, it is necessary for the blood to thicken as the weather grows colder.

Different methods and temperatures of cooking will also help balance out our personality. Since slower cooking methods are more grounding, it makes sense that rapidly cooked foods will have a more activating yet relaxing effect, suitable for the more stagnant and tense individual.
A more harmoniously sweet flavor, cooked undisturbed on a low heat for a longer period of time will have a more calming effect for the angry or impatient person.

The more pressure, salt, oil, time and heat that is used, the more concentrated the food will be. Concentrated foods provide the warmth needed for weaker constitutions that have lost interest in food or life.

When cooking, mindfully engaging with our food by pureeing, mashing, tossing, stirring, or kneading will help energize the food.  

Cooking is the highest of art forms; when it is complete, you ingest your artwork and it becomes you and all those you feed.

It is helpful to be aware of your intentions. The state of the cook affects the state of the food. One can often taste the richness of a meal made and presented with attentiveness and love. Similarly so, a meal prepared in anger imparts anger. Respect what you are doing no matter how simple the preparation.

The foods you eat today prepare you for tomorrow. If feeling melancholy, bake something sweet like winter squash or yams with sweet spices such as cinnamon. Similarly, add some lemon zest to your dressings to add zest to your day. Become creative. At social functions, eating lighter, sweeter foods will help you be more sociable. When studying, simple concentrated foods will help your focus.

Be intuitive. Let the colors, flavors, shapes and smells be your guide.

Pumpkin "Cheesecake"

One of my favorites during the holiday season is pumpkin cheesecake. I now enjoy this healthier delicious version with no cream cheese, refined sugar or flour.   

Crust: 

1 3/4 cups almond meal (from Trader Joe's or grind your own almonds in food processor)

1/2 cup raw almond butter

1/2 cup dates

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Filling:

2 cups Greek yogurt (Fage brand works best and whole milk works best)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

1/3 cup agave nectar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

Chop dates with almond meal in food processor. (If the dates are too tough and dry, add 1 tbs of hot water). Add almond butter and maple and pulse in processor until its all mixed in.

Press into a pie dish and bake at 375 for 10 minutes, until it starts too brown. Let it cool.

Meanwhile mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl until consistency is smooth. Once the crust has cooled down, pour the filling in. Refrigerate and let it set for a few hours. 

Apples

New England is known for its variety of apples.Their unique blend of sweet and tart flavors are a product of the region's long, hot summers and crisp fall days. About 40 varieties of apples are commonly grown while the industry is still largely family-owned. 

Apples are rich in phytonutrients that function as antioxidants, supporting our heart. Rich in both insoluble fiber (like cellulose) and soluble fiber (like pectin), apples can help keep LDL cholesterol levels under control, and lower these levels if too high. Along with antioxidants and fiber, apples are abundant is flavonoids, preventing inflammation and blood clotting. They also help regulate blood pressure and overproduction of fat in the liver cells. 

Much of the fiber, antioxidant and flavonoid content is in the pulp. If drinking apple juice, choose the "cloudy" apple juice rather than the "clear" juice in order to get the benefits of the pulp. 

Protection Against Asthma and Lung Support: Flavonoids unique to apples (such as phloridzin) play an important role in supporting lung health. Several studies have significantly connected apples to lowering asthma risk. Interestingly enough, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (dated back to 6000 BC), the fall is a season in which the lungs and large intestine need to be nurtured _ the same season in which apples are grown!

Organics: Be aware that apples are listed among the top 12 fruits and vegetables highest in pesticides. To take full advantage of the antioxidants in apples, it's important to include the skins. Since the skins are exposed to the spraying of pesticides, organically-grown apples are highly recommended.

Recipe: Quick Apple Sunday

1 apple

1 Tbs almond butter

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbs chopped almonds or granola

1 Tbs shredded coconut

In a small mixing bowl, blend the almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until it is smooth like caramel sauce.

Cut the apple into 1/4-inch pieces and place in a sundae serving bowl. Drizzle the sauce over the apples and top with the almonds/ granola and coconut. 

Balancing Diet With The Fall Season

In nature, fall is a time when everything begins to slow down, and the expansive energies of summer begin to contract inward and downward. Leaves fall, grasses dry, and the sap of the trees go into the roots. Similarly, we can often feel in our own lives that it is time to organize the scattered patterns of summer and create new rituals that will best support us through the slower winter months. Fall provides us with the process of cooling and slowing down. 

While nature may be slowing down, our schedules often don’t allow us to do the same. We must take extra care to be sure not to fall out of sync with the natural cycle around us.

All foods and flavors have different effects in the body. Some foods are warming while others cool the body’s thermal temperature. Here in New England, the vegetables that grow in the summer cool our bodies during the hot and humid season. In the fall the vegetables growing have a more warming, dense and stable effect. When we eat seasonal, local foods, we receive the energies that naturally balance out the seasonal shifts that occur within our bodies. 

The way we prepare our food plays a role in the effect it has on our body. Rather than keeping to the raw foods and grilling methods of summer cooking, which keep the cooling properties, fall and winter are about meals that are cooked on a lower heat for a longer period of time. This releases the more warming qualities of our food and provides a settling affect which in turn helps internalize one’s focus. 

Baked foods, sautéed foods, heartier foods, and root vegetables all contribute towards the thickening of the blood. If one lives in a cold climate, it is necessary that the blood gets thicker as the weather grows colder.

Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that we can use different flavors to synchronize the body’s energy with the seasons. During summer, pungent, spicy foods may have served a purpose as they provide an outwardly expansive energy; causing us to break into a sweat. Since fall is a process of contracting our energy inwards, we want to incorporate sour flavors as they have a similar effect. Sour foods include sauerkraut, olives, pickles, vinegar, leeks, adzuki beans, yogurt, lemons, limes, sour apples and sourdough bread. Extremely sour foods should be used in very small amounts as they have a strong effect.(*1)   As we move further into winter, the salty flavor will be of value for its contractive benefits. Wholesome salts are found in foods such as unrefined sea salt, seaweeds, barley, millet, soy sauce, miso, or pickles that are prepared in salt water.(*2)

*1 Caution: Minimize sour foods when feeling a “heavy mind or body” or constipation. 

*2 Caution: Minimize salt in conditions of over weight, edema, lethargy, or high blood pressure.