Pumpkin is a highly versatile vegetable that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Pumpkins offer vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, and folate - all of which strengthen your immune system and can help keep your skin strong and healthy. More pumpkin in your diet can help your immune cells work better to ward off germs and can improve bladder and heart health.
Below are some ways you can incorporate more pumpkin and variety into your diet.
-Vege curry: replace the meat component in your favourite curry with pumpkin, or simply add it as well as the meat.
-Pumpkin soup
-Quiche
-Add to your roast veg mix
-Roast pumpkin salad
-Instead of mashed potato, try mashed potato and pumpkin or kumara and pumpkin.
Vegan stuffed roast pumpkin
INGREDIENTS
1.8kg whole butternut pumpkin
2 red onions
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 small red capsicums deseeded, cut into 1cm-thick strips
2 small yellow capsicums, deseeded, cut into 1cm-thick strips
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
400g can brown lentils, rinsed, drained
150g baby spinach
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
Baby rocket, to serve
Balsamic vinegar, to serve
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Cut pumpkin in half lengthways. Scoop out seeds. Place the pumpkin, cut-side up, on the prepared tray. Lightly spray with oil. Season. Roast for 1 hour 10 minutes or until tender. Cut 1 onion into wedges. Thinly slice the remaining onion. Set aside pumpkin to cool then scoop out the flesh from each pumpkin half, leaving a 3cm-thick shell. Reserve flesh.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook sliced onion, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and paprika. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add capsicum and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until just tender. Stir in vinegar and maple syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until caramelised.
Step 3
Add lentils and reserved pumpkin to the onion mixture. Season. Stir. Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 4
Blanch spinach in boiling water. Drain. Refresh under cold running water. Squeeze out excess liquid then coarsely chop. Stir through the lentil mixture with pine nuts.
Step 5
Divide the lentil mixture between pumpkin shells. Carefully join halves and use kitchen string to tie at 2cm intervals. Return pumpkin to a tray. Add onion wedges. Roast for 20 minutes or until just tender, adding asparagus halfway through cooking. Set aside for 5 minutes. Remove string. Cut into 6 thick slices. Arrange on serving plates with asparagus, onion, and rocket. Drizzle over balsamic.
Pumpkin fritters
INGREDIENTS
· 500g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
· 800g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, coarsely grated
· 180g vegetarian haloumi, grated
· 1 tbs coarsely chopped dill
· 2 Free Range Eggs, lightly whisked
· 1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
DILL PESTO
· 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill
· 1/4 cup (35g) slivered almonds, toasted
· 60g pkt Baby Rocket
· 1 garlic clove, crushed
· 1/4 cup (20g) finely grated parmesan
· 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the tomatoes on the lined tray and spray with olive oil spray. Season. Bake for 20 mins or until the tomatoes begin to collapse.
Step 2
Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin, haloumi, dill, and egg in a large bowl. Add flour and stir to combine. Season.
Step 3
Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Add four ¼-cup (60ml) portions of the pumpkin mixture to the pan and cook for 2 mins each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining pumpkin mixture.
Step 4
To make the dill pesto, place the dill, almond, rocket, garlic, and parmesan in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream until combined. Season.
Step 5
Divide the fritters and roasted tomato among serving plates. Drizzle fritters with the dill pesto.
Choc chip pumpkin bread
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
1 cup (220g) brown sugar
1 cup (250g) mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk
150g butter, melted
2 Free Range Eggs
2/3 cup (130g) dark choc chips
1/2 cup (55g) chopped walnuts
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds), to sprinkle
Chopped walnuts, extra, to sprinkle
Dark choc chips, extra, to sprinkle
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease the base and sides of a 10cm x 24cm loaf pan and line with baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
Step 2
Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the pumpkin, buttermilk, butter and eggs in a bowl until well combined. Add to the flour mixture with the choc chips and walnut. Stir until combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the pepitas, extra walnut, and extra choc chips.
Step 3
Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipes from taste.com.au
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