Whit's Getting Fit!

Hi guys! I hope every one is having a fabulous Thanksgiving! While I’m gone I have arranged a few lovely ladies to do some guest posting. Today the lovely Beth from Kitchen Courage is sharing her squash pie recipe! I love reading Beth’s blog, because not only does she share great recipes; she always has a fun story to share as well.

Take it away Beth!

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Hello, fabulous fans of the fittest Whit in town!  Happy turkey day to the Americans, and happy holiday season to the rest!  Before I get on with this guest post, let me just gush for a moment about Whit.  As a fellow blogging (check me out at www.kitchencourage.com), running, yoga-ing sold-out-on-God gal, I find so much encouragement in her posts here, as well as excellent meal ideas (my current favorite from the Getting Fit kitchen: microwaved fruit topped with yogurt and cereal — yum!).

Okay, enough of the rabid blogger fan-girl.  Let’s save that for Twilight, shall we?

When Whit suggested sharing one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes with you, I knew immediately what ingredient would be the star: pumpkin!  I am a pumpkin (and squash) addict.  I simply cannot get enough.  I put pureed pumpkin into just about everything : chili, salad, yogurt, eggs, peanut butter — and the list goes on!  And that does not even touch on the non-pureed forms of squash, like the ubiquitous butternut squash fries, roasted maple-drizzled acorn squash, or spaghetti squash smothered with salsa and avocado.  Have I mentioned that I like squash?

When you add squash to the Thanksgiving holiday, the result is, naturally, pumpkin pie.  Tasty and amazingly spiced and creamy and — I’m gushing again, aren’t I?  Still, of all the pies in the world, pumpkin pie is not only delicious, but it also happens to be the healthiest.  The pumpkin variety of this dessert tends to clock in with more nutrition (fiber!) and less desired dessert fallout (sugar!  trans fats!) then its apple or pecan brethren.  If you want to indulge without going too crazy, pumpkin pie is the way to go.

Of course, pumpkin pie is good all year round.  What to do then?  I’ll share my solution to that conundrum — my recipe for Harvest Spiced Squash Pie.  I first created this for the Royal Foodie Joust in autumn of 2008 (read my unveiling post here: http://www.kitchencourage.com/2008/10/apple-er-acorn-of-my-eye-squash-pie.html).  This is a crust-less of pumpkin pie that not only makes a fantastic addition to your Thanksgiving Day table, but also doubles as an any-time nutritious treat.  I’ll confess, though — the leftovers of this pie constituted more than one lunch or dinner!  The fact that my husband doesn’t like pumpkin at all was good news, because that simply meant more pie for me!

In the recipe below I used a combination of acorn squash and canned pumpkin puree, but feel free to substitute in your favorite mashed squash.  Also, I garnished this particular pie with orange maple syrup, which added a surprising flavor twist.  As with all of my recipes, I encourage you to play with this and make it your own.  For more nutritious recipes, pumpkin-themed or otherwise, stop by Kitchen Courage (www.kitchencourage.com).  Thanks for reading! 

For the pie:
1.5 cup skim milk
1/2 cup egg replacers (or 2 eggs, beaten)
1/2 cup acorn squash, mashed
1.5 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray (I use a spray with a canola oil base).
To harvest the acorn squash, slice it in half. Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon. (I saved the seeds and roasted them while the pie baked — simply sprinkle them with cinnamon and sage and leave them in the oven for about 15 minutes or until browned and crispy-dry. I let mine go for too long and burned them, but I like them that way!) Fill a slightly concave plate with water and place one half of the acron squash face down in it. Microwave until the skin is tender (at least 5 minutes, often closer to 10 depending on the squash’s size). Let the squash sit until cool enough to handle, then scoop out the flesh (or, alternatively, peel the skin away if tender enough). Mash the flesh slightly. One half of a small acorn squash provides enough for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with different ratios of acorn squash to pumpkin puree (for which I used canned pumpkin).

In a blender, combine the milk, eggs, cornstarch, and vanilla. Add the acorn squash and pumpkin and continue to blend. A lovely froth will foam over the surface of the mixture. Add the rest of the spices and puree for at least two minutes. Scrape down the blender’s sides with a spatula every so often. When fully integrated, pour the mixture into the pie pan.

Bake 50-60 minutes, or until browned at the edges and cooked through the center. The pie will not be completely solid, but should hold its form when sliced. The pie will rise substantially while baking, so you may want to either use a deep dish pie pan or place the regular sized pie pan on top of a baking sheet.
Allow the pie to cool before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with your choice of toppings, or try my orange maple syrup with a sprinkling of roasted acorn squash seeds and a dollop of rich Greek yogurt. This pie tastes great fresh or chilled!

For the syrup:
1 T orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup maple syrup (I used sugar-free)
1 generous shake of cinnamon
(Use as much or little cinnamon as you prefer. My "generous shake" came from a Costco-sized jar of the spice, so it probably amounted to at least 1 teaspoon, if not more. Trust your palate on this one!)

Combine the concentrate, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir until blended. If you like your syrup warm, heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Happy Thanksgiving, and may the squash be with you!
Beth of Kitchen Courage 

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Thanks so much Beth! This looks fabulous and I can’t wait to try it!

PS: Beth mentioned Twilight above? I finally saw New Moon last night! OMG…so good!