Make magic with pumpkin ................
Hearty and wholesome, these veggies are great in savoury or sweet dishes
BUTTERNUT SOUP WITH ROAST GARLIC SERVES 4-6 Preparation: 15 min Cooking: 45 min
2 large butternuts, quartered and seeds removed 4 tomatoes, halved 1 whole garlic bulb 30 ml (2 T) olive oil 500 ml (2 c) chicken stock 125 ml (½ c) cream 2 ml (½ t) roasted masala salt and freshly ground
pepper Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Line a large baking sheet with foil and grease well with nonstick spray. 1 Arrange the butternut and tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Put the garlic bulb in the middle and sprinkle the oil over everything. Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes until softened. 2 Spoon the butternut flesh from the skin and transfer to a saucepan. Skin the tomatoes and add to the butternut. 3 Squeeze out the garlic flesh and add to the butternut and tomatoes. 4 Add the stock to the vegetables and heat the soup until it comes to the boil. Purée with a stick blender, then return to the stove. 5 Stir in the cream and season with the masala, salt and pepper. Serve with toast.
PUMPKIN SATAY
Peanut-flavoured satay sauce is a mainstay of Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine.
SERVES 4 Preparation: 15 min Cooking: 45 min
15 ml (1 T) oil 1 onion, finely chopped 5 cm fresh ginger,
grated 4 garlic cloves,
crushed 2 ml (½ t) dried chilli
flakes 800 g – 1 kg pumpkin
cubes 500 ml (2 c) chicken
stock 45 ml (3 T) crunchy
peanut butter 5 ml (1 t) tomato paste 45 ml (3 T) fish sauce 45 ml (3 T) soy sauce 30 ml (2 T) lime juice 125 ml (½ c) coconut
milk TO SERVE basmati rice handful of fresh
coriander roast pumpkin slices
(optional)
1 Heat the oil in a shallow saucepan. Sauté the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli flakes together for a few minutes. 2 Add the pumpkin cubes and stock and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft – add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry. 3 Stir in the peanut butter, tomato paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. 4 Add the coconut milk and simmer gently for 5 minutes. 5 To serve Spoon onto basmati rice and top with fresh coriander and roast pumpkin (if using).
STUFFED MINI PUMPKINS AND BUTTERNUTS SERVES 4 Preparation: 15 min Cooking: 1 hour
2 baby pumpkins 2 small butternuts (or 4 if you can’t find baby pumpkins) 15 ml (1 T) olive oil STUFFING 100 g bacon,
chopped 1 can (410 g) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 250 g cooked
pumpkin cubes handful of fresh
coriander, chopped 2 garlic cloves,
crushed 5 ml (1 t) lemon
juice salt and freshly
ground pepper TO SERVE 60 ml (¼ c) sour cream or plain full-cream yoghurt 1 avocado, sliced
( optional)
Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Grease a roasting pan with nonstick spray. 1 Halve the mini pumpkins and/or butternuts and cut off the stalks. Remove the seeds and arrange the halves in the prepared roasting pan, flesh side up. Sprinkle the oil over and roast for 45 minutes or until done. 2 Stuffing Pan-fry the bacon until crispy. Remove from the heat and add the beans, cooked pumpkin cubes, coriander and garlic and mix through. Season with the lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper. 3 Fill the baby pumpkin or butternut halves with the stuffing and bake for another 15 minutes. 4 To serve Top each mini pumpkin or butternut half with a few avocado slices (if using) and add a dollop of sour cream. Serve as a meal or side dish.
To make the dish more substantial, add a can of drained chickpeas or lentils just before serving.