Tag - Alexandra Duquette

By: Alexandra Duquette

The season of the pumpkin is upon us and with that comes pie, lattes, beer, and even cereal flavored with that sweet, earthy gourd. While these can all be delicious, they are hard on our wallets, and even harder on our waistlines. And with fall marking the beginning of the holiday season where many of us see the numbers on the scale slowly creep up, why not start out on a positive note with some healthier recipes featuring those favorite fall flavors?

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

This twist on a cold weather classic is packed with protein and fiber that is sure to fill you up and keep you warm when the temperature starts to drop.  You could easily make this recipe in a slow-cooker for a “ready when you are” dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 pound lean ground turkey (15% fat)
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (15 ounce or 1 ¾ cups)
• 1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed (15 ounce or 1 ¾ cups)
• 1 can solid-pack pumpkin (15 ounce or 1 ¾ cups)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (15 ounce or 1 ¾ cups)
• 1 can chicken broth, low sodium (15 ounce or 1 ¾ cups) (See Notes)
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 package taco seasoning mix (1.25 ounces) (See Notes)

Directions:

1. Pour oil into a 4 quart (or larger) saucepan.
2. Add ground turkey, onion, green pepper, and garlic.
3. Cook and stir, breaking meat apart until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in the beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, water, brown sugar, and taco seasoning.
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes:

• Broth can be canned or made using bouillon. For each cup of broth, use 1 cup very hot water and 1 teaspoon or cube bouillon.
• For lower sodium, use a low-sodium or salt-free seasoning mix.

Serving size: 1 cup, Calories per Serving: 220, Total Fat: 4.5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 430mg, Total Carbohydrate: 29g, Dietary Fiber: 9g, Sugars 7g, Protein: 17g

Low Fat Pumpkin Bread

A perfect lightened-up version of a true fall favorite.

Ingredients:

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 9Canned or home-roasted)
• 1 cup p0akced brown sugar
• 1 cup dried plum puree (see notes)
• 1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
3. Add the eggs and pumpkin, stir until mixed together.
4. In a large bowl, blend that plum puree, brown sugar, and sugar.
5. Lightly coat an 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch loaf pan with cooking spray or oil and set aside.
6. Add dry ingredients to the plum mixture. Stir only until the dry ingredients become moistened. Be careful not to overmix.
7. Pour batter into loaf pan and spread into corners.
8. Bake for about 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the load comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
10. Remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack. Slice to serve.
11. Wrap in plastic or foil and store for several days or freeze for up to one month.

Notes:

• To make the dried plum puree: Combine 2/3 cup pitted dried plums (4 ounces) and 3 tablespoons water in a blender. Blend until finely chopped.
• If you don’t have dried plums on hand, try using applesauce or plum baby food.

Serving size: 1 ½ inch slice, Calories per Serving: 120, Total Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 120mg, Total Carbohydrate: 28g, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Sugars 17g, Protein: 2g

Recipes from Oregon State University’s “FoodHero.org.”

Alexandra Duquette is the Clinical Dietician for Copley Hospital, where she sees inpatients and outpatients daily. As a former pastry chef, she has realigned her career to aid people in enjoy food while keeping their bodies healthy and strong.