It’s pumpkin season! The star of autumn, our fall movie star. Pumpkins are greater than a cute ornament for suburban houses or Instagram-worthy actions. These well-known gourds are a sturdy supply of vitamins with medicinal properties. That is the time of 12 months when clients leap on their favourite pumpkin-flavored LTO’s returning to the menu. Right here’s a number of causes to include pumpkin flavors in your restaurant’s menu ideas.
Dietary Advantages
Analysis has discovered a number of well being advantages of pumpkins together with the constructive results on stabilizing blood sugar and its means to decrease blood stress, function an antioxidant, and reduce irritation and combat power illness. The seeds are excessive in protecting important fatty acids and amino acids. Whereas the pumpkin fruit is a superb supply of nutritional vitamins and minerals starting from potassium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin B6, iron, selenium and the precursor to vitamin A, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene may also help enhance immunity and defend towards solar injury and situations that will negatively have an effect on eye well being. Talking of eye well being, pumpkins additionally include two extra phytonutrients, lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been linked to reducing the danger of creating cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Menu Additions
The nutrient density of pumpkin results in versatility within the kitchen. Pumpkin can be utilized in a spread of dishes and with many various taste pairings that may boost your recipes. The tender sweetness of a pumpkin makes it a fan favourite in custard, pies and pancakes. It really works equally as nicely in savory dishes corresponding to soups and pastas. Listed below are some concepts for incorporating pumpkin into your seasonal menu:
- Season chopped pumpkin with recent or dried herbs and throw it on the grill.
- Merely sprinkle a spice mix of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in your roasted pumpkin.
- Add brown sugar, molasses and walnuts to pumpkin pancakes.
- Use onion and garlic in a pumpkin squash ravioli, soup or chili.
- Puree pumpkin to make use of as a festive baking ingredient as a substitute of eggs or oil.
- Mix canned pumpkin with coconut milk and spice for a curry base.
Seasonal flavors, like pumpkin, supply a way of consolation. Nostalgic seasonal flavors are widespread on LTO menus and a few turn into so well-liked they stick round year-long. Pumpkin spice can set off nice reminiscences in your clients, so make one or two of those additions to your menu this fall and enchantment to the lots.
Sources: HoustonChronicle | NutritionalOut
