But no one told me pumpkin was a vegetable! (pumpkin cookie dough pie and asian frittata)

So I was flipping through the '100 safe foods list' to see if some vegetable (corn, I think) was a menu option. Well, it's not; but skimming through the okay-ed vegetable list my eyes suddenly caught the word 'pumpkin' splat in the middle of the page. Pumpkin is a vegetable? I'd always thought it was a fruit! This is an embarrassing and rather dumb thing to admit, but I'd always thought that fruits were the ones with the seeds. I could have sworn they told me that in elementary school...or something.

Anyway, if I had known the pumpkin was an okay-ed veggie, this recipe would have been up weeks and weeks ago (well, maybe not since I only thought of pie crusts as of last week--but it would certainly have been an incentive to piece a crust together sooner!), especially since I'm trying to replace dairy-dependent desserts with protein and veggie dependent ones: a tough job on a good day. The tofu-pie was fantastic-- dense and creamy (I'll be experimenting with pistachio and butterscotch flavors when bored), but pumpkin pies are something all on their own.

I also whipped up a frittata full of yummy Asian flavors, so in this post you actually get a brunch and dessert all in one!

Frittata:

1 package imitation crabsticks, diced
8 garlic cloves (I actually used canned habanero garlic... haven't been to the supermarket in a bit)
4 slices fat free Singles American cheese
2 packets (about 12 thin pieces) seaweed
4 eggs, beaten with
3 eggbeater eggwhites (9 tbsp)
3 tbsp thai garlic chilli (or any hot sauce, especially if you have Korean chilli paste?)
2 tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium), 1 tbsp mirin 
salt, pepper

Preheat oven 425 F
1. 'grease' stove, cook garlic on med-high about 2 min (until soft but not brown)
2. lower heat to medium, add crabsticks and cook 2 min
3. add chilli sauce, soy sauce, mirin
4. add eggs, then layer with seaweed (fan on top), and then cheese--cook 2 min, making sure sides don't stick, until eggs are almost set
5. Wrap the handle of your pan (if not oven-proof) with aluminium foil, bake for 8-10 minutes until eggs are set.

Pumpkin Cookie Dough Pie:

350F

Crust: (as per chocolate pie)
 process:
leftover flourless cookies* until sandy
2 tbsp skim milk (new addition to choc pie) until moistened and starting to stick together
press onto pie pan, poke holes with fork

Filling:

blend:
1 can (15oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup silken tofu, or fat free half-and-half (which is what I did...heh)
2 cup sweetener
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp vanille, 1 tsp butter extract (optional)

Pour onto crust

Cookie Dough: (as per flourless chocolate cookies)
1/2 cup unsweetened good cocoa
2/3 cup sweetener
1 tbsp chocolate extract (if you have), or vanilla (if you don't), 1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp eggbeater 100% eggwhite
shape into 1 inch balls using wet hands (dip hands in water before forming each ball), press gently into filling so completely covered.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 (depending on sweetener), until the center is still slightly jiggly but the sides are firm. May crack. Not a big deal. Let cool 1 hour, then refrigerate 2 hours.



* cookies (about 24)
350 F
2 pckg fat free flavored Jello pudding (butterscotch, vanille, pistachio etc)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cup sweetener
2 eggbeaters 100% eggwhites (6 tbsp)

Mix dry stuff, stir in eggwhites until moistened, use wet fingers and spoon to place on cookie sheet; flatten well with wet fingers as sweetener doesn't allow for spreading. It takes 10 minutes!
Bake til done (about 8 minutes, depending on type of sweetener)

P.S if anyone is wondering why my crust looks like there's too little crust for the pie.... it's because I ate a few too many cookies before processing them! (Just don't eat more than say.... 6....)