Roasted Pumpkin Boats.... It is October!!



Pumpkin time - hooray!! How nice... October is here, the rains have began, the farmers are happy, we are happy because we are having our building painted from the outside although it was planned for July...but what can you say.

Pumpkin is a very healthy vegetable.  I began eating pumpkin at the beginning of my journey down from 155 kg, and now two years later I'm stuck at 130 kg. After being called in a couple of days ago by my physician friend for a 24 hours (blood pressure Holter)check up on my blood pressure, I decided that it is now the time to start losing the rest down to 100 kg. No special diet, nobody supervising me, just I, me and myself have taken the decision to lose the rest by eating white meat such as boiled skinless chicken (I use the stock to cook  Millet, Quinoa, Buckwheat), fish and lots of different colored veggies, raw, cooked on steam, or just roasted. No salt added just some extra virgin olive oil. No I have not decided to become a Vegetarian or a Vegan. I do enjoy a 1.5 inch rib-eye steak every once in a while.

I really don't know if I bore you with all my stuff but bottom line it all comes down to mathematics unfortunately (because I hate them). Number of Calories eaten must be less than calories consumed in order to lose weight, or equal to keep the same weight.  But people like me who like to eat in quantities, at least I choose to eat very low glycemic index type of foods.
 
http://scholar.google.gr/scholar?q=Uses+of+Glycemic+Index++Diabetes+and+Weight+Control&hl=el&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&lookup=0&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=dPozVLabL8e3OJPMgagI&ved=0CBsQgQMwAA

Glycemic Index - Diabetes and Weight Control:  The following paragraph has been copied and pasted from a post with the above mentioned link.

Although the glycemic index was invented originally to help diabetes patients manage their blood-sugar levels, dietitians and weight experts now use it as a tool to treat obesity, reduce cravings and appetite swings, and improve eating habits. Another important carbohydrate rating tool is the Glycemic Load which rates the glycemic value of food serving sizes.

Ingredients:
  • 4 wide slices of pumpkin with peal.
  • 1/4 cup olive oil.
  • 1/2 Tbsp. each of: Zaatar, Mango powder, Cinnamon.  
  • 1/2 tsp.each of clove powder, turmeric, ginger.
Method:
  • Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius with air.
  • Cut your pumpkin from top to bottom making boats.
  • Brush some oil the whole slice of pumpkin.
  • Mix all spices well and sprinkle on every slice.
  • Roast in oven for 1 hour.
Pumpkin is ready to eat as a side dish. For someone who has not tasted pumpkin before, it is deliciously soft, and tastes exotic according to the spices added because practically pumpkin is tasteless. Clove powder and cinnamon are the best spices to use with pumpkin. 

Enjoy!
Stelio

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