Today’s show is all about pumpkin! While this versatile and nutritious autumn fruit is best known as a front porch decoration on Halloween and a flavoring in trendy coffee drinks, it’s also an ingredient that makes its way into everything from wholesome muffins and pancakes to chili, enchiladas, and mac & cheese! As a dietitian, I adore pumpkin, and as you’ll learn on the show today, it turns out that my guest, Maggie Michalczyk, is even more obsessed with this fall favorite than I am.
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On the show today is registered dietitian, food blogger, and cookbook author Maggie Michalczyk. She lives in Chicago, where she runs Once Upon A Pumpkin, a blog that’s filled with recipes and tips for cooking with pumpkin. Maggie has lots of recipe ideas to keep you cooking all autumn long and beyond. On the show, we dish about Maggie’s recipes for Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and Gluten-free Pumpkin Chickpea Blondies, and we’ve got tips for roasting pumpkin and the seeds. And of course, we dive deep into the nutritional benefits.
“Pumpkin seeds can be roasted with a variety of seasonings, and they are a great year-round snack.”
– Maggie Michalczyk, RDN
I put a few “Liz” touches on Maggie’s Pumpkin Mac & Cheese. I made it with gluten-free penne pasta, a roux made with olive oil and reduced-fat milk, low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese, pumpkin puree, and roasted delicata squash. Check out the recipe over on my blog.
Pumpkin Chickpea Blondies
Pumpkin The Dog
Be sure to check out Maggie’s cookbook, Once Upon a Pumpkin Cookbook: 50 Creative Pumpkin Seasoned, Flavored, Shaped, & Spiced Recipes. You’ll find sweet and savory recipes in the book, plus a recipe for Maggie’s dog!
Show Highlights:
- What dinner was like in Maggie’s house as she grew up in a Polish household
- Pumpkin’s appeal to even the pickiest of eaters
- The nutrition benefits of pumpkin — packed with fiber, vitamins A, C, and E, and potassium
- Is there a nutritional difference between fresh and canned pumpkin?
- The ideal pumpkins for roasting are the 2 to 4 pound “sugar” or “pie” pumpkins (bigger pumpkins won’t have as much flavor)
- Maggie’s favorite seasonal foods with pumpkin: nut butter, chips, salsa, hummus, and pumpkin spice latte popcorn. (Just browse the pumpkin offerings at Trader Joe’s for a real treat!)
- Ideas for using canned pumpkin puree in your pantry: smoothies, oatmeal, muffins, crepes, enchiladas, quesadillas, chili, and soups
- How to roast pumpkin seeds with salt, cinnamon sugar, or pumpkin pie spice (get creative with the seasonings!)
- Pumpkin seeds are a source of plant-based protein, fiber, and magnesium
- Maggie’s cookbook, with over 50 pumpkin recipes with something for everyone—even the family dog!
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, with a cheesy pumpkin sauce and lots of optional add-ins
- Maggie’s Gluten-free Pumpkin Chickpea Blondies–yummy and nutritious!
- A random question from the Mason jar about the weirdest, strangest thing Maggie has ever eaten
- What’s next on Maggie’s horizon
LINKS:
My email: [email protected]
- The Parents On Demand Network
- www.superhealthykids.com
How to find Maggie: Once Upon a Pumpkin Blog
Instagram: onceuponapumpkin
Have a question about the show or a suggestion for a future show? Ask away by posting a comment below or joining my Podcast Posse
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