5. Seasonal Recipes- October/November

"Cheesy Baked Potato with Butternut Squash" (Super Foods, Karmel)

4 medium baking potatoes
vegetable oil
1/2 medium butternut squash (about 10 ounces)
3 T butter (plus a little extra)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 T milk
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Prick potatoes in several places, place on baking sheet and brush all over with oil. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until they feel soft when pressed. Meanwhile, scoop out the seeds from the squash half and brush the flesh with a little soft butter. Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut the tops off the potatoes and scoop out the flesh. Scoop the flesh from the cooked squash and mash together with the potato, mustard, parmesan, mulk and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put the mixture back into the potato shells, top with grated Cheddar and place under the broiler for a few minutes until golden.



"Yellow Cake with Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Icing" (Deceptively Delicious, Seinfeld)

Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 18-ounce box yellow cake mix (any brand)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup water
2 T vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
6 ounces nonfat lemon, banana or vanilla yogurt

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and flour lightly. Combine cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs, egg white and yogurt in a medium mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. About 20 minutes. Allow to cool then frost!

Icing:
1 8-ounce pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 T frozen orange juice concentrate

Beat all ingredients until smooth. Spread icing onto cooled cake or cupcakes.

* For this particular recipe, I sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice on top. Feel free to use cinnamon or nutmeg! Just a little for that seasonal flavor!