What has more potassium than a banana, more than 200 percent
of your recommended intake of vitamin A, and is rich in both fiber and beta carotene?
Well that would be our plump, orange friend, the pumpkin! Pumpkins are
certainly the icon of November, but you may notice that canned pumpkin is often
priced higher than most other canned vegetables. Here are some options you may
want to consider to help your holiday season budget.
Try another favorite gourd, the canned squash! It’s usually
found right next to the pumpkin and at about a quarter of the price. Shoppers
often pass up squash as an alternative to pumpkin pie, but it’s a delicious
option. You can save even more money by looking for squash in the frozen
section. Simply take a package of frozen squash and simmer it on the stovetop
to remove the excess liquid. For those wonderful fall spices, look to the bulk
section of your supermarket, as they are often 30% less expensive than the
bottled spices.
Squash Pie
Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar or less
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) or 2
cups of frozen squash, pureed
(2) 6oz containers of Greek plain or
vanilla yogurt
Directions
Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in squash and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in yogurt.
Pour mixture into pie shell or custard cups.
Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.