AIP pumpkin puree - roasted-from-scratch base staple replacing the canned version

Canned pumpkin is one ingredient, already made and sitting on the shelf, and this staple asks you to trade that convenience for a knife, an oven, and 45 minutes you may not feel like giving it. This is what's on the other side of that trade: a soft, deep orange puree, made from one pumpkin and a little coconut oil, that puts you in control of exactly what's in it, down to the can lining you never had to think about before.

Pumpkin is where the vitamin A and fiber in this batch come from, tied to a gut lining trying to settle and a system working to repair itself. It is mild enough to fold into a breakfast bake, a soup, or a pancake without asking anything extra of you once it is made.

Pick a small pie pumpkin rather than a carving one, and give yourself a second when it comes out of the oven, soft, sweet-smelling, a color a can never quite matches. A little of this, made once, becomes a week of easier dinners.

Ingredients

• 1 pie pumpkin
• Coconut oil, for the skin and the pan

The source recipe is two ingredients, and both are AIP Core. No swaps needed.

Method

Heat the oven to 350 F. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and strings.

Rub a little coconut oil over the skin and over a rimmed baking sheet. Set the pumpkin halves cut side down on the sheet and pour in a shallow layer of water around them. (If you are using winter squash instead, skip the water.)

Roast 30 to 45 minutes, until the flesh is fork-tender and the skin gives easily when pressed.

Let it cool until you can handle it, then peel away the skin. Blend the flesh until completely smooth.

Use right away, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze in measured portions for up to a few months. The same technique works for winter squash and sweet potato, so you can build a small library of homemade purees.

Instant Pot variation

Pour 1 cup of water into the pot and set the trivet inside. Cut the pumpkin into a few large chunks, set them on the trivet, and pressure cook on high for 12 to 15 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. Scoop the flesh from the skin and blend smooth. The steam time is ARM-derived and not yet kitchen-tested, so check tenderness and adjust on your first batch.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*