Prize Winning Colorful and Festive Creamy Stew in a Pumpkin. Feed 25 People with Only 15 Minutes of Preparation Time

When we think of Fall and early Winter foods, we think of pumpkin and other squash. And of all the healthy Fall and Winter recipes, pumpkin is one of the easiest to prepare and is highly nutritious, according to Nutrition Data, who gives pumpkin a 5-star rating (out of 5 possible) for optimum health value. Further, Nutrition Data estimates pumpkin to have a glycemic load of 6, which means that it actually helps to prevent diabetes when eaten in place of refined carbohydrates. Pumpkin is a great source of Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron, and Manganese, according to Nutrition Data. (See complete nutritional details below).

Recipe
1 cup raw cashews
1 large (or 2 med) onion, quartered
6 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cans diced tomatoes (15 or 16 oz), or 3 lg. tomatoes diced plus 1/2 cup water
1 cup peas (fresh, canned [drained--liquid reserved] or frozen)
1 can corn (15 or 16 oz), drained, reserve liquid
1 can beans (legumes: navy, garbanzo, pinto, etc.), drained, reserve liquid
3 cubes beef bouillon vegetarian (or regular)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 medium whole pumpkin

Cooking instructions for pumpkin
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place reserved liquids into a 2-cup measure, and add water until the level reaches 2 cups. Place into a blender along with the onion and cashews, and blend on highest setting for 5 minutes, until very smooth and creamy.

Place all ingredients (except the pumpkin of course!) into a large pot on stovetop. Add one more cup of water. On medium heat, bring to boil. Simmer (low) for 5 minutes. Potatoes will not be tender, but they will cook further in the oven.

While the above mixture is cooking, cut a circle into the top of the pumpkin around the stem (as shown in above photo) to make a removable pumpkin lid. Remove seeds from pumpkin (save for toasting, instructions below). Smear vegetable oil generously over the outside of the entire pumpkin.

Place the pumpkin into a large pan (9 x 13 or broiler pan witout the top), and pour the hot stew into the pumpkin. Place the "pumpkin lid" on top, and cook for 2 hours. Do not overcook.

Serve hot and enjoy! Makes 25 small 6 oz. bowls or 10-12 large bowls.

Nutrition facts
Pumpkin is an excellent Fall or early Winter food. Many healthy Fall and Winter recipes include pumpkin. Surprisingly, one serving of the above recipe (6-oz. bowl) provides the following nutrition. (Nutritional facts provided by the nutrition calculator at http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp):

Calories 123
Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 311 mg
Potassium 501 mg
Carbohydrate 22 g
Dietary Fiber 4.3 g
Protein 4 g

*VITAMIN & MINERAL CONTENT:
Vitamin A 121%
Vitamin B-6 14%
Vitamin C 28%
Vitamin E 3%
Calcium 48%
Copper 21%
Folate 11%
Iron 10%
Magnesium 10%
Manganese 24%
Niacin 9%
Pantothenic Acid 12%
Phosphorus 13%
Riboflavin 10%
Selenium 3%
Thiamin 10%
Zinc 7%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

What should I do with the seeds?:
Pumpkin seeds make a terrific snack when toasted and are also used in many healthy Fall and Winter recipes. To toast the pumpkin seeds, simply remove all the pulp with your fingers, rinse them in a strainer, and spread them out onto a cookie sheet to dry for one or two days (until completely dry).

Toasting pumpkin seeds
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spread the pumpkin seeds onto a greased (or sprayed) cookie sheet. Lightly coat the top side of the seeds with more cooking spray, then lightly salt them. Pepper and garlic powder may also be applied, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes then flip them over with a thin spatula, and bake for another 30 minutes. Allow seeds to cool completely before eating.

Are pumpkin seeds nutritious?
The answer is yes. According to the above nutrition calculator, pumpkin seeds are packed with protein, potassium, fiber, magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc. They contain zero cholesterol.