How to properly cook oven baked pumpkin: the benefits and harms of the dish

A huge number of dishes and preparations are prepared from pumpkin. But this vegetable is most popular in baked form. The benefits of baked pumpkin are difficult to overestimate. However, maintaining the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals depends on how the dish is prepared.

Today we will tell you how to properly bake and consume an orange vegetable. You will also learn about the dangers and benefits of this dish for certain diseases and find in the article some simple recipes for pumpkin baked in the oven.

Product composition and properties

This vegetable has a high nutritional value and is low in calories. 100 g of a ready-made dish contains:

• kcal: 22;
• proteins: 1 g;
• fats: 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates: 4.4 g;
• organic acids: 0.1 g;
• dietary fiber: 2 g;
• water: 91.8 g.

Glycemic index

Carbohydrates are absorbed by the body at a certain rate. Glucose levels rise, causing the pancreas to release the hormone insulin. The glycemic index is a measure of how fast your blood sugar rises when you eat food.

For baked pumpkin, its value is from 75 to 85 units.

Vitamins and minerals

This orange vegetable contains a huge amount of beneficial trace elements and vitamins. In baked form, it surpasses many other crops grown in central Russia in terms of the benefits and content of medicinal substances.

The main trace elements contained in the vegetable:

• magnesium;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• phosphorus.

In addition to them, there are still:

• iron;
• iodine;
• zinc;
• copper;
• chlorine;
• manganese;
• fluorine.

Among the vitamins contained in pumpkin are PP, B1, B2 and B12. But most of all in this vegetable is beta-carotene (vitamin A), which protects the human body from harmful substances entering it from the environment.

reference... Pumpkin pulp contains a lot of pectin. Its dietary fiber promotes gentle bowel cleansing and elimination of radionuclides from the body.

Benefit and harm

Baked pumpkin is a godsend for people suffering from diseases of the heart, kidneys, bladder, liver, gout. The product is able to delay the aging process, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and hair. The baked vegetable is recommended for people on a weight loss diet.

However, it is undesirable to abuse this product - you can harm the body and aggravate the course of the disease.

Read also:

How to properly cook pumpkin jam.

What is pumpkin honey.

How to make pumpkin juice without a juicer - the most delicious recipes.

Useful properties of a baked dish

Oven-baked pumpkin retains important groups of vitamins and minerals needed to maintain health.

Consider the useful properties of this dish in specific cases:

1. The product helps to normalize the functioning of the kidneys and bladder... It not only cleanses these organs, but also helps to get rid of kidney stones, chronic pyelonephritis, cystitis.
2. Pumpkin is useful for gout. The vegetable takes part in all metabolic processes, including purine metabolism. And with this ailment, this is extremely important. The product prevents uric acid salts from accumulating in the kidneys and joint cavities. Pumpkin has a diuretic effect, as a result of which not only excess fluid is excreted from the body, but also uric acid.
3. This orange vegetable can help normalize blood pressure.
4. The dish perfectly strengthens the work of the heart and blood vessels.... This is due to the content in its composition of a large amount of potassium. For the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, it is enough to consume 200-250 g of baked pumpkin daily.
5. Baked pumpkin is recommended for sick people diabetes mellitus.
6. It strengthens immunity.
7. For people with liver disease, this dish is an excellent hepatoprotector. The baked vegetable is excellent for cleansing the liver and restoring its function and function - when consumed in moderation.
8. The product contains a large amount of dietary fiber, which normalizes the digestive system. Eating vegetables can help prevent constipation. Pumpkin is a healthy, low-calorie product that is ideal for fasting days and weight loss diets.
9. Eating baked pumpkin regularly can help you get rid of from disorders of the nervous system, normalize sleep, relieve stress.
10. Baked pumpkin during pregnancy boosts immunity, improves digestion... Also, its moderate amount in the diet prevents the appearance of edema. This vegetable removes toxins and sodium salts, has choleretic, laxative, diuretic effects.
11. This dish is used not only in cooking, but also for external use. For example, a baked pumpkin is turned into gruel using a blender and made compresses for feet... It relieves fatigue in the legs after long physical exertion or walking.

As we can see, this product has a lot of useful properties, but sometimes it also brings harm. In most cases, this is due to misuse.

Contraindications

If you do not have any diseases, then you should not worry - with moderate use of the product, it will not bring harm.

Pumpkin can negatively affect the human body in such cases:

1. Increased blood sugar. Excessive consumption of baked pumpkin contributes to a sharp rise in blood sugar levels. This is not dangerous for a healthy person, but not for diabetic patients. It is useful in this disease only if the norm determined by the doctor is observed.
2. Baked pumpkin is a heavy dish, so it can have a sharp load on the work of the digestive tract.This is a laxative effect. People with intestinal upset are advised to use this dish with great care. With diseases such as gastritis with low acidity, stomach ulcers, diarrhea, it is better to exclude such food from your diet.
3. Pumpkin is a strong allergen... Therefore, an allergic reaction may occur. If you have a predisposition to a variety of allergic reactions, use it carefully, in small portions. This also applies to young children, whose bodies are sensitive to new foods.

Oven baked pumpkin recipes

Oven-baked pumpkin is considered an easy-to-cook yet hearty and nutritious dish. Below you will find several step-by-step recipes for its preparation.

Classic recipe

Baked pumpkin with sugar is a simple classic recipe that will be appreciated by those with a sweet tooth. This dish is served with coffee or tea, as well as milk porridge for breakfast.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin pulp - 300 g;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
• honey (flower or herbs) - 1-2 tablespoons;
• lemon juice - 2 tbsp l .;
• lemon zest - 1 tsp;
• ground cinnamon - 0.5 tsp.

Cooking process:

1. Cut the peeled pumpkin into small cubes, about 1.5 cm each.
2. Arrange the slices in one layer in a baking dish.
3. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Send to bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.
4. Scald the lemon with boiling water and wipe dry. Squeeze out the juice (from about 1/3 of the fruit). Remove the zest with a fine grater.
5. Sprinkle the baked pumpkin with cinnamon, lemon zest and lemon juice.
6. Return the dish to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes at 180-200 degrees until tender. The pieces should come out soft, but not puree.
7. Melt the honey in a water bath and pour over the still hot pieces of pumpkin pulp.

If you use dark or cane sugar, the dish tastes even better. Add steamed raisins or walnuts to the baked pumpkin, if desired.

With honey

Another option for oven-baked pumpkin is with honey.

Ingredients:

• small pumpkin;
• raisins - 2 cups;
• honey - 1 tbsp. l .;
• curry - 0.5 tablespoons;
• cilantro - 0.5 tablespoons;
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking process:

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut into cubes.
2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Make sure that the pumpkin does not become too soft.
4. Combine baked vegetable cubes with raisin, curry, cilantro and honey dressing.

With apples

• fresh pumpkin - 400 g;
• apples - 2 pcs;
• sugar - 2 tablespoons;
• cinnamon - a pinch;
• lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Cooking process:

1. Peel the pumpkin, cut into small pieces and place in a baking dish.
2. Peel the apples, cut into medium pieces and place on top of the vegetable.
3. Sprinkle the ingredients with sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.
4. Place the mold in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for half an hour.
5. It is better to serve the finished dish to the table chilled.

With lemon

Ingredients:

• pumpkin - 1 kg;
• lemon - 1 pc.;
• sugar - 200 g

Cooking process:

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut into small slices.
2. Peel off the citrus as well. Cut the pulp into small pieces.
3. Toss pumpkin and lemon with sugar. Transfer these ingredients to a baking dish and cover with foil on top.
4. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. After that, remove the foil and put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Check readiness with a fork or knife - the pumpkin should become soft.

For meat

Baked pumpkin is used not only as an independent dish, but also served with others - for example, with meat.

Ingredients:

• medium sized pumpkin;
• Feta cheese / hard cheese - 50 g;
• Cherry tomatoes - 10 pcs.;
• olive oil 1-2 tbsp l .;
• spices to taste.

Cooking process:

1. Wash the pumpkin, remove the peel, peel and cut into slices.
2. Make criss-cross cuts on the vegetable pulp.
3. Rub the vegetable with olive oil. Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, if desired.
4. Send the dish to an oven heated to 180 degrees. Bake a medium pumpkin for about an hour to soften.
5. Place tomatoes, grated hard cheese and / or feta cheese slices on the pulp. Place in the oven for another 10 minutes.

With garlic and coriander

Another recipe for lovers of this vegetable. Served as an independent dish or as a side dish for meat or poultry.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin - 700 g;
• olive oil - 3 tbsp. l .;
• garlic - 2 large cloves;
• lemon juice - 1 tbsp l .;
• coriander - 1 tsp;
• parsley - 4 branches;
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Cooking process:

1. Peel the garlic and grind with the coriander in a blender, or pass through a press.
2. Wash, dry and finely chop the parsley leaves without the stems.
3. Pour lemon juice into olive oil and add salt, black pepper, parsley and garlic with coriander. Mix well.
4. Cut the well-washed pumpkin and remove all seeds. Leave the peel. Cut the vegetable into 8 pieces.
5. Line a baking dish with foil. Place the pieces of vegetable in it and brush them with the oil mixture. Cover the pumpkin dish with foil and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees.
6. Bake 35-45 minutes, until the vegetable slices are tender. Roasting time depends on the type of vegetable and the thickness of the slices. Check the readiness of the dish with a knife or fork. At the end of baking, remove the foil and turn on the "Grill" mode for 5-7 minutes. After that, the finished dish can be served.

Cooking tips

Let's share with you some of the secrets of cooking a vegetable.

1. For baking, choose late pumpkin varieties, with a bright orange and juicy pulp. Use medium-sized fruits.Too large are often overripe and tasteless when baked.
2. To prevent the pieces from sticking to the baking sheet, bake on a piece of parchment. It is better to wrap large pieces of vegetable in foil - this way they will cook faster and will not stick to anything.
3. If the pieces begin to burn rapidly from above, cover them with foil.
4. If you are cooking in a baking dish, pour a couple of tablespoons of water into it so that the liquid covers the bottom slightly. This will prevent the dish from burning and will be juicy.
5. You can bake a vegetable with or without a peel. In any case, rinse the pumpkin thoroughly first, and only then chop.

Conclusion

Baking in the oven allows you to preserve almost all the useful properties of pumpkin. Moderate consumption of this vegetable in a baked form contributes to the healing and strengthening of the whole body. It is no coincidence that pumpkin is called a "natural healer". Bon appetit and good health!