PUMPKIN BAKED IN HERBS
By Ruth Milstein, author of the Gourmand award-winning recipe book ‘Cooking With Love: Ventures into the New Israeli Cuisine’. For more of Ruth’s recipes, visit www.RuthMilstein.com.
Pumpkin Baked in Herbs
A new and exciting way to prepare pumpkin! Easy to prepare and packed with vitamins. Makes 6 servings.
2 pounds of pumpkin, you can mix any kind
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves; chopped
1 tablespoons minced fresh Rosemary
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
1 cup of Spinach leaves, washed
3 ounces Feta cheese
2 ounces pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400◦
Wash the pumpkin and remove all the seeds. Do not peel the pumpkin. Cut pumpkin in half and slice into a 1/2 inch wide by 1-1/2 inch length slices; transfer to a large bowl.
Put the oil into a small bowl and then mix in the herbs, maple syrup and the salt and pepper; pour it over the sliced pumpkin and blend well.
Transfer the mixture to a baking pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes until golden.
Serve: Arrange the spinach leaves around serving platter then place the baked pumpkin on the top. Crumble the cheese with a fork and spread it on top of the pumpkin. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over and garnish with parsley.
* Can be served warm or room temperature.