Besides the fact that the pumpkin can be turned into a carriage and go to the ball, this ancient vegetable has a mass of culinary and healing virtues.
Only at the sight of the pulp of the fruit of a bright yellow color a good mood naturally appears, which, in turn, contributes to the improvement of appetite.
A pumpkin carriage is, of course, a fairy tale, but one can agree with the fact that the vegetable has some magical power, provided that it is in the hands of a real fairy who can cook a culinary masterpiece from it.
How to cook a pumpkin to save vitamins
Each dish should be not just beautiful and tasty. The main purpose of any food is to supply the body with vital vitamins, trace elements, proteins, fats and organic compounds. If at the dawn of civilization, the beneficial properties of pumpkin and other cultures were determined by man on an intuitive, subconscious level, then nowadays its biochemical composition is well studied, and the degree of usefulness of the product is appreciated by medicine.
To understand what methods of mechanical and heat treatment should be subjected to vegetables, you need to know at least the basic properties of the biochemical substances that make up the pumpkin.
Vitamins A, B and C are contained in the pumpkin in the greatest amount. Vitamin A in it is 2.5 times more than the required daily requirement; B vitamins are represented in all their diversity, including B9, rarely found in other products, folic acid.
Vitamins are most susceptible to culinary processing and require a special approach in preparation. Vitamins A, B are destroyed in the process of heat treatment, and the content of vitamin C in food is sharply reduced even during cleaning and cutting, and later, when heated to 400C, it is almost completely destroyed. Therefore, the vegetables need to be washed, peeled and cut very quickly, it is best to do this just before use. So, it makes no sense to store vitamin salads in the refrigerator.
As for the minerals, many of them in the process of cooking turn into broth. Calcium, potassium, sodium, copper, iron, phosphorus, zinc are well dissolved in water. All these elements are present in the pumpkin, and they are vital. Therefore, you need to take care of their assimilation. In addition, the pumpkin contains iodine, manganese, magnesium, fluorine, cobalt, participating in the construction of important organic compounds, enzymatic processes, beneficially affecting the cells. It is noteworthy that the pumpkin caloric content is very low (22Kk / 100 g), despite the fact that it also contains enough non-coarse fiber to ensure rapid saturation.
Pumpkin, despite being a stranger from Central America, is very widespread in our area. It can be easily grown at the dacha and household plots, or purchased from the same summer residents on the market. Considering everything said about the benefits of the vegetable, it must be included in the menu, especially since the pumpkin is also not whimsical in storage.
How much to cook pumpkin - methods of heat treatment
If a solid vegetable needs heat treatment, as is the case with the dense pulp of a pumpkin, then we choose options, depending on the recipe and on the basis of what was said above about maintaining the benefits of the product.
To prepare salads, desserts, fillings for pies, choose the following methods of heat treatment:
Allow
Salt or sprinkle the pumpkin peeled and chopped into sugar so that it quickly releases its own juice, and boil it in the minimum amount of water: you need just as much water as it takes to prevent the flesh from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan until soft. At the same time be sure to close the lid.
For pripuskaniya perfect multicooker, microwave.
Baking
You can bake the pumpkin in two ways, while also taking into account the peculiarities of the recipe and the taste you need to get.
First method. Put slices of chopped pumpkin on a greased baking sheet or cast iron pan. Place the baking tray in a preheated oven (170-1800C), and pre-heat the pan on the stove. To quickly form a crust, which will warn, at least partially, the loss of vitamins, lightly sprinkle the chopped pulp with sugar. This technique will also give the vegetable a slight piquancy and emphasize the taste of pumpkin. Do not be afraid that in a salad a sweet pumpkin will stand out for sweetness. On the contrary, the combination of all shades of taste is the perfect harmony, to which professional cooks always strive.
The second method. If, nevertheless, you want to preserve the natural taste of the pumpkin, then wrap the prepared vegetable in foil and use the oven. Foil will not let evaporate vitamins. Just do not unfold it after baking until the pumpkin cools. Quenching
Suppose that pumpkin is part of beef stew with vegetables or is an ingredient in milk porridge. In this case, we must assume that the duration of preparation of different ingredients is not the same. For cooking meat, depending on the variety and type, it will take from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. For cooking cereals need in various cases, 15-40 minutes. Add pumpkin 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking. Here you also need to take into account the amount of pumpkin slicing: grated on a grater, it will cook in 7-10 minutes, and larger cubes need, maybe even more than 15 minutes.
Another factor affecting the duration of heat treatment is the variety and degree of maturity of the pumpkin. In each case, you need to try the product to determine the hardness or softness of the consistency necessary for the dish.
Cooking
This method of cooking pumpkins is needed most often for soups. If we are talking about soup-puree, then you can reduce the time of heat exposure due to preliminary mechanical preparation: just make pumpkin puree and send it to the soup along with fresh greens in 2-3 minutes. Cover the pan with the lid and wait for the pumpkin to evaporate.
It is important for any method of cooking vegetables to remember the most important thing - you need to save more vitamins in the finished dish.
How to cook a pumpkin - a recipe for baked apples with pumpkin and raisins
Product Composition:
- Large apples 6 pcs.
- Pumpkin Pulp 150 g
- Raisin 70 g
- Dried apricots 80-100 g
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Honey 200 g
- Sesame
- White grapes
- Orange syrup 100 g
Preparation Method:
Wash large sweet and sour apples, cut out some of the flesh and core with a tail. Wash the raisins and dried apricots (no need to steam). Dried apricots finely chopped. Pulp apples and pumpkins, grate, combine with dried apricots, raisins and honey. Prepare the mixture and stuff the apples and wrap them in foil. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 1700C. When cool, remove the foil, put the apples in plates, sprinkle with sesame seeds and crushed pumpkin seeds. Garnish with grapes and pour with orange syrup. This recipe has a lot of options - pick up your own favorite ingredients for apples and pumpkins.
How to cook a pumpkin - a recipe for the original pumpkin salad
Products:
- Arugula
- Duck fillet, roasted 200 g
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Feta cheese 150 g
- Olives marinated 100 g
- Pumpkin boiled 200 g
- Red, lettuce pepper 150 g
- Olive oil, lemon juice, sugar and a mixture of peppers - for dressing
Preparation:
Tear green basil, rosemary and arugula in a wide flat dish. Poultry, cheese and pumpkin cut into equal cubes. Cut olives without stones into thin rings and chop the sweet pepper into strips. Mix at first all the prepared ingredients in a deep salad bowl, then put it on the plate in a heap. From butter, juice and spices, prepare the dressing to taste, and pour over the salad before serving.
How much to cook pumpkin - pumpkin puree soup with hunting sausages, in German
Composition:
- Chicken broth 1.8 l
- Pumpkin 600 g
- Cream (20%) 300 g
- Onion, 180 g
- Butter, melted 70 g
- Sausages (sausages), hunting 300 g
- Parsley, curly (twigs for feeding)
- Sesame, pumpkin seeds, crushed
- Garlic 30 g
Preparation:
Pumpkin rubbed on a grater. Cut the sausages into rings, chop the onion. Pass the onion in the heated butter, put it on a plate. In the same oil, fry the smoked sausages, add garlic to them, and also put separately.
In a boiling chicken broth, lower the pumpkin and cook until soft, season the broth with spices, add the browned onions. Remove the pan from the stove and pour the soup into a blender. Smash by adding warm cream. Return the soup to the pan, bring to a boil. Serve by putting fried sausages in a plate and garnish with greens, sesame seeds, and seeds.
How to cook a pumpkin - useful tips
- A pumpkin is an ideal carving vegetable. It can also serve as a “dish” if you cut the “lid” at the base, remove the seeds, and put meat, cereal or fruit inside and bake the dish in the oven.
- Historical artifacts indicate that the ancient Aztecs ate not only pumpkin pulp and seeds, but also its stems, flowers, and leaves. Considering the emerging culinary idea of decorating dishes with edible flowers, occasionally collect pumpkin flowers and, after cutting off the rough parts of the sepals, pickle the flowers in the usual marinade, or preserve for desserts in thick sugar syrup.
- Pumpkin seeds are loved by many, not to mention their usefulness, no less valuable biochemical composition and widespread use in folk and scientific medicine. Try to buy the whole pumpkin, with seeds. Even if the fruit is large, its pulp can be cut, divided in portions and frozen in containers or vacuum bags. Seeds are expensive, and pumpkin is a completely social product.
- A frozen pumpkin is faster and easier to cook.
- Seeds need to sort, wash and dry. Store them in a closet, in a tight-fitting glass container. Pumpkin seeds are used for baking, cooking salads and desserts.
