EatingWell’s Pumpkin Pie Crust
Often the crust is where all the saturated fat and calories are lurking in a pumpkin pie. (Learn how saturated fat affects blood sugar levels.) But not with this tender crust. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons ice water
1. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. With your fingers, quickly rub butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller in size but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine. Sprinkle water over the mixture and toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough in the bowl a few times — the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Shape into a 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust with kitchen shears or a butter knife so it overhangs the edge of the pan evenly. Tuck the overhanging crust under, forming a double-thick edge. Flute the edge with your fingers.
3. Proceed with your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.
Nutrition information (per serving): 104 calories; 12 g carbohydrates; 6 g fat; (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 2 g protein; 7 mg cholesterol; 1g fiber; 10 mg potassium; 118 mg sodium.
Reprinted with permission from EatingWell.
The debate over whether organic food is healthier than conventionally grown food may be over, according to results from a $25-million study into organic food — the largest of its kind to date.
The four-year, European-Union-funded study found that:
- Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
- Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
- Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants
The researchers obtained their results after growing fruit and vegetables, and raising cattle, on adjacent organic and non-organic sites. They say that eating organic foods can even help to increase the nutrient intake of people who don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency, which has formerly said that there is no difference between organic and conventional foods, is reviewing the research findings.
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This recipe is a tried-and-true favorite from EatingWell — and it’s low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol, and low in carbs, too. Find other recipes at EatingWell.com.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cleaned portabella or shitake mushrooms
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
| 1. |
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to release their juices, about 10 minutes. |
| 2. |
Add broth, tamari (or soy sauce), thyme and sage; simmer for 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir into the sauce and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes more. Season with pepper. If you prefer a smooth gravy, pass it through a fine sieve (discard mushrooms and onions). Serve hot. |
Reprinted with permission from EatingWell.
Mother Earth News recently finished their latest egg-testing project, confirming their 2005 test results that showed true free-range eggs are far more nutritious than commercially raised eggs.Compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:
- 1⁄3 less cholesterol
- 1⁄4 less saturated fat
- 2⁄3 more vitamin A
- 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
- 3 times more vitamin E
- 7 times more beta carotene
These dramatically differing nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free-range pastured hens, vs. commercially farmed hens.
Without citing any research of their own, most egg industry advocates hold fast to their claim that commercially farmed eggs are no different from pastured eggs, and that hens’ diets do not alter their eggs nutritional value in any significant way.
Mother Earth News points out the flawed and downright fraudulent definitions of “true free-range.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines “free-range” as chickens that have “access to the outside.” However, it does not define their diets, nor whether or not the “outside access” is to a cement courtyard or a field fit for foraging.
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