I got this side dish recipe from bon appétit. I have had it in my saved file for three years, I just never got round to making it. I did change the flavour to my liking and there are many different spices and herbs you can use instead of mine, so feel free to explore according to your taste buds.
I think it looks really impressive and I wanted to decorate it with pomegranate because I thought it would be a great Rosh Hashana (Jewish new year) side dish, but they were out of pomegranate at the shops.
I have made this dish three times in the last two weeks.
I used feta and Honey as an accompaniment, but when I had vegan guests I used tofu and maple syrup.
I actually loved both. It’s surprisingly easy to make. What they didn’t tell you in the recipe is that the hollow part of the butternut pumpkin, where you scoop out the pumpkin seeds, cooks quicker than the solid bit and therefore collapses. However, after experimenting with baking the pumpkin in different ways I have come up with three options for you.
1. Cook the pumpkin until soft and allow the hollow bit to collapse, it really doesn’t look too bad
2. Don’t cook the pumpkin till soft which means the bottom part of the solid end of the pumpkin will not be as soft
3. This bit is fiddly but if you are pedantic then go for it. I chopped half a carrot into chunky bits making sure it was the same size as the hollow part so it would fit nicely underneath it and still keep its shape after I’ve baked it.
4. If you want to make two halves just double the quantity.
Ingredients
· ½ butternut pumpkin, whatever size you like.
· 2-3 teaspoons oil
· 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
· ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
· 1teaspoon cinnamon
· 1teaspoon butter or plant-based butter
· salt according to taste
· ¼ cup toasted crushed hazelnuts
· 200g feta cheese or tofu, cut into squares
Method Preheat the oven to 200c. 1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin until the orange colour is exposed. Trim off the end bit. 2. Scoop out seeds and flesh, discard. 3. Oil pumpkin with 2-3 teaspoons of oil all over and sprinkle salt. Place pumpkin cut side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15-20min NO MORE. 4. Transfer pumpkin to cutting board and using a sharp knife slice the pumpkin almost to the bottom. I placed a wooden spoon on each side of the pumpkin so that when I cut down the spoon-handles stopped the blade from cutting all the way through. 5. Place the pumpkin back on the tray and bake until cooked through OR you can add chopped carrot to the hollow end and continue to roast. 6. Melt butter or plant-based butter in a frying pan. Stir in thyme leaves and cinnamon, stir for one minute before adding honey. Keep stirring for another minute allowing flavours to meld before turning the stove off. Set aside. 7. When you are ready to serve pumpkin, reheat honey/maple syrup and while hot drizzle over pumpkin and feta/tofu. Sprinkle with smashed roasted hazelnuts.
Love,
Nava.
PS - I love hearing from you! Let me know how it went and feel free to spread the word/passion/love, the more the merrier!
