Halloween Pumpkins - Good for Eating Too
Not just for Halloween, pumpkins are good to eat and a healthy food too. Find out how to cook them and get a recipe for pumpkin seeds from American Institute for Cancer Research so they are good for your health as well as being delicious.

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Bernhardt, Marianne
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Because of its connection to Halloween, many of us don't think about actually eating pumpkins. It's true to say that the big ones, good for carving into scary heads, are not ideal for cooking. Instead, look for smaller ones then grill, bake, or steam them. The easiest way is to cut it in half and put it cut side down on a baking sheet that holds enough water to cover the bottom surface. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, 30 to 90 minutes, depending on size. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the fiber and seeds and use the flesh any way you want.

But don't throw away the seeds - either from cooking pumpkins or your jack o' lantern. Crunchy pumpkin seeds are good by themselves or in other foods.

Combine two cups or more of raw, washed pumpkin seeds with one tablespoon canola or olive oil, a few shakes of garlic powder and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Spread on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Cool and serve.

You can turn a traditional Middle Eastern tabbouleh into a Halloween salad by adding carrots and pumpkin seeds. Tabbouleh is made with nutty tasting, light brown bulgur, wheat kernels that have a tender, chewy texture. In tabbouleh, fine bulgur works best with the other ingredients and better absorbs the lemony dressing.

Halloween Pumpkin-Seed Bulgur Salad
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 medium orange bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup loosely packed minced parsley
1/3 cup golden raisins
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish, if desired

Place bulgur in a large bowl. Add boiling water. Let stand until al dente, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook carrots in a microwave oven or stove-top until tender, then set aside to cool. Drain bulgur in a strainer, pressing gently to remove most of the moisture.

Transfer bulgur to a serving bowl. Stir in carrots, bell pepper, chickpeas, apple, parsley and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Drizzle it over the salad while tossing with a fork to mix in well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Just before serving, mix in pumpkin seeds and garnish with more seeds, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 285 calories, 5 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 56 g. carbohydrate, 9 g. protein, 12 g. dietary fiber, 162 mg. sodium.

If you want to find out more about nutrition and cancer, visit the American Institute for Cancer Research.

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Copyright © 2004 Carol Fisher. All Rights Reserved.