Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

When it comes to eating clean baked goods are my downfall.  I have been trying but getting cookies, cakes or any other yummy sweet to come out right without using refined sugar, oils or flour isn’t easy.  So far this recipe is my only success story, but I’m going to keep trying and will keep you updated on the success & failures.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups 100% maple syrup

2 eggs

2 TBS raw honey

3 cups Spelt flour

1 TBS baking powder

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

15 oz pumpkin puree (see my post on  Pumpkin Puree to make your own)

 

1. With a mixer, cream the butter, add the maple syrup and eggs.
2. Combine dry ingredients.  Stir them into the butter mixture.  Stir in pumpkin.
3. Pour into 2 buttered loaf pans.
4. Bake at 325 for an hour or until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

What is Spelt Flour?

Spelt is a grain in the wheat family, so it is not gluten free.  It is does have a lower amount of gluten then wheat flour and people with mild gluten intolerance have found they can have spelt.  Spelt is rich in protein, B vitamins, magnesium and fiber.  It can improve cardiovascular health, decrease the risk of heart disease, boost the immune system and may even lower the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

When subbing spelt in recipes for other flours it is a 1:1 ratio.  This simple substitution is why this was the first alternative flour I wanted to tackle baking with.  Spelt does cook differently.  It is more water-soluble then wheat flour so you need less liquid, it also will not rise quite as much.  I love its nutty flavor compared to using whole wheat flour.  In addition, it produced a much lighter bread for me vs. using whole wheat flour.

When buying spelt make sure you get “Whole Spelt” products as there are some refined types out there.

Why Maple Syrup & Raw Honey vs. Refined Sugars?

I want to be clear I’m talking about real maple syrup, not the corn syrup junk that has maple “flavor.”  When buying maple syrup it should only have 1 ingredient, maple syrup.  Sugar is sugar no matter the form.  Refined sugars are highly processed leaving few if anything beneficial.  While maple syrup & raw honey are still simple carbohydrates, just like refined sugar, and should be eaten in moderation they do have antioxidants.

I have found I need less maple syrup and honey to get the sweetness I’m looking for.  For example the original recipe for this pumpkin bread called for 3 cups of sugar.  I found 2 cups of maple syrup & a couple tablespoons of honey give the perfect sweetness, cutting the sugar in the bread by a full cup!

Pumpkin Smoothie

After getting engaged I quickly became a gym rat to get in shape.  Chris joined me and before I knew it we were going to the gym everyday and addicted to their protein smoothies.  At over $5 each this got expensive really fast!  So we registered for a Cuisinart Smoothie Blender and luckily received it at the first shower.  I’ve been making us smoothies for every workout since.  Not only has it saved us a bundle, we think they taste better than the ones we were buying at the gym.  Plus I know the quality of ingredients going into them so there is no question that they are healthy.  In the spirit of All Things Fall, here is my Pumpkin Smoothie recipe!

Pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients:

½ cup Kefir (you can substitute plain Greek yogurt here)

¾ cup Milk

½ TBS Chia seeds

1 TBS Flax seeds

2 TBS Chocolate Hemp Protein Powder (we get ours at Trader Joes)

½ cup Pumpkin Puree

¼ tsp Cinnamon

3-4 Ice cubs

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree. You may find it is too thick, if so add a bit more milk.  If you missed my post on how to make your own Pumpkin Puree check it out!

Ready to go in the blender

Blended and ready to drink!

If pumpkin isn’t for you try switching it out with your favorite fruits.  I like blueberry, or strawberry and Chris likes banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Never heard of Kefir, Chia seeds or Hemp protein?  Here is a little insight into why we like these ingredients.

Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk.  Including fermented foods in your diet is essential for good digestion.  You know all those commercials for yogurt that can aid in digestion?  Well Kefir has the same probiotics as yogurt but three times as much!   It actually helps your body digest lactose, so those of you who find that dairy doesn’t agree with you may find adding Kefir to your diet regularly could help with this problem.  A word of caution when buying Kefir.  I was shocked to see some of the ingredients in the Kefir we were buying.  Read the labels before buying, but I stick with plain Kefir because I’ve found the flavored ones to be full of sugar and food dyes.

Chia Seeds

Yes these are the exact same seeds you get with a Chia pet! They are rich is Omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, protein, rare antioxidants, fiber and have shown to reduce blood pressure. If you put them in water they will form a gel.  Research has shown that this reaction in your stomach could help slow the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar. We found them in the bulk bin section of our grocery store.  You can usually find them prepackaged in the heath food section of your store, or online.

Hemp Protein

Many of you may use whey protein.  Most whey protein powders are full of all sorts of other junk, and require you to use a lot more to get the same amount of protein.  Hemp protein is derived from a plant vs. dairy making it much easier for your body to digest (ie. no bloating or other bad side effects).  It is also full of fiber.  I personally think it tastes better too.

We don’t carve pumpkins… we eat them!

All things Pumpkin!

 

Being that its fall I wanted to kick off my recipes with one of my favorite fall staples… pumpkin.  Over the last few years I’ve been trying to cut out canned goods.  Most cans have a lining that has BPA in it contaminating the food inside.  BPA free cans do exist but the goods are pricey and the cans still have chemicals in them. Canned pumpkin seemed like something I could easily figure out how make on my own and it was!  So to start here is how to roast a pumpkin.

Roasting a Pumpkin

Ingredients/tools:

1 small pumpkin pie pumpkin

Aluminum foil

Medium size cookie sheet

 

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the stem from the pumpkin using a butter knife

You need to pry a bit sometimes.

What it will look like with the stem removed

1. Slice the pumpkin in half & remove the seeds.  (I like to save the seeds for roasting)
2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. (You can skip this step but I found the clean up was a breeze with the foil)
3. Place each half of the pumpkin cut side down on the foil and bake for an hour or until tender.

Ready to go in the oven

Fully cooked

Fully cooked and ready to scoop out!

1. Let cool then scoop out the filling, discarding the skins.
2. You can mash up your filling or if you want a smoother texture use a food processor/blender to puree it.
3. I make large quantities at a time and then package them in 15 oz sizes to freeze.  Then when I want to make a pumpkin recipe I already have it on hand and measured out to the equivalent of 1 can.

Need some ideas on how to use your new pumpkin puree?  Try a pumpkin smoothie or pumpkin bread!