I love October. It’s when the variety of local winter squashes at the grocery store just blossoms. Pumpkin everything begins popping up on your Facebook news feed. And the air- it smells crisp like fall.
I decided to add to the pumpkin love fest by sharing this DELICIOUS recipe. It is perfect for a fall weekend morning served with a side of steamed greens and perhaps a slice of bacon or a breakfast sausage if you are feeling extra eager!
Health Benefits of Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a winter squash. And winter squash in general are excellent sources of a variety of nutrients. 1 cup of cubed, cooked winter squash contains just 76 calories, but a whole lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber [1]:
- Vitamin A: 60% of the dietary reference intake (DRI)
- Vitamin C: 26% of the DRI
- Fiber: 23% of the DRI
- Vitamin B6: 19% of the DRI
- Manganese: 19% of the DRI
- Copper: 19% of the DRI
- Potassium: 14% of the DRI
- Vitamin B2: 11% of the DRI
- Folate: 10% of the DRI
Pumpkin & FODMAPs
For those of you who are sensitive to FODMAPs, pumpkin is one of those foods that is okay to eat, but the quantity needs to be watched to avoid experiencing symptoms. Here’s what Monash University has to say [2]:
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin= low FODMAP
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin= moderate FODMAP
- >2/3 cup canned pumpkin= high FODMAP
So as long as you do not eat 8 waffles in one sitting (please don’t!!), you will remain well under the high FODMAP threshold.
P.S. If you use a Japanese pumpkin instead of a canned pumpkin, you will be even less likely to exceed your FODMAP limit.
Recipe Taste Testing
I originally tested this recipe out on attendees of the Able Farms CSA Member Appreciation Brunch. The event was hosted by the wonderful farmer/chef Megan Denton. It was a blast- we toured the farm, ate yummy food, got to know our farmer, and learned how other CSA members used their vegetable goodies all season.
P.S. the pumpkin waffles were a hit- even among those who don’t normally eat gluten-free!
Never heard of a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is when you pay a farm at the beginning of a growing season (usually that’s in the Spring). The farm then uses that money to plant fresh produce to bring to you throughout their growing season. You are supporting a local farmer and in turn, they are bringing you super fresh produce made with love.
Heard of a CSA but never tried it?
Then you must try! The food tastes so fresh and not having to choose the vegetables you buy every week is a relief. Plus, it makes you get creative and try new things!
Tips for Picking a CSA:
I recommend you ask the following questions of the farms you are considering:
- What items typically come in a share?
- Are the items produced organically? How about sustainable farming practices?
- How long does the season last?
- How much food comes per week?
- Where are the pick up sites? Or is there delivery?
- How long is the pick up window? (the longer the time frame, the less hassle it will be to squeeze it into your schedule)
- What’s the cost?
Here’s a great list of farms within the Portland, OR area that offer CSAs. My dad and I attended the CSA Share Fair last year to help us in selecting a farm. I hear from a little birdy that the event will be happening again in 2017- stay tuned!
We chose Able Farms because the pick up window was 8 hours long, the pick up location was close, the half share was a perfect size for starting out with our first CSA, and the organic farming practices made us feel good.
Farm Picture
And check out the cute duckies that live at Able Farms (plus, chef/farmer Megan!):
And now for the recipe you are going to want to make this weekend…
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (I used canned, but homemade is even better!)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil for strict dairy-free- personally, butter & ghee are the only dairy products I tolerate)
- 2 tablespoons honey (clover or other honey with balanced glucose-fructose ratio is best tolerated for those with IBS/SIBO)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened hemp milk)
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup arrowroot starch
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- 1 tablespoon non-aluminum baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Maple syrup or honey (for serving)
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, melted honey, vanilla, and non-dairy milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine brown rice flour, arrowroot starch, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sea salt. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
- If your waffle iron does not have a non-stick surface, use some extra butter or coconut oil to grease it thoroughly.
- Preheat waffle iron to medium heat.
- Whisk wet ingredients into dry until just combined, being careful not to over-mix (this will make batter tough because of the baking powder).
- When waffle iron has preheated, use a measuring cup to scoop ⅓-1/2 cup of batter into each waffle spot.
- If your waffle iron has an automatic timer setting, check them when the timer goes off. Otherwise, set timer for 4-5 minutes and check when timer goes off. Add an extra minute or two if they are not quite crispy.
- Continue making waffles until all batter is used up.
- Serve with warm maple syrup or honey.
References:
[1] Mateljan G. World’s Healthiest Foods, 2nd Edition, The Force for Change to Health-Promoting Foods and New Nutrient-Rich Cooking. G M F Pub; 2015.
[2] Monash University Low FODMAP App. Accessed Oct 06, 2016.
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