I feel a cool change may be imminent, so I’m making the most of this beautiful weather and having as many BBQ’s as I possibly can. Hmmm, I’ve probably mentioned that before, but I’m crossing my fingers that these beautiful days stick around this weekend. Now, we all know that BBQ’s need side dishes and I have seen this dish pop up all over the web lately and it has always looked so delish, so I decided to serve it Christmas day alongside my Baked Ham and Garlic Lemon Roasted Chickens, and it didn’t disappoint. Even my pumpkin-hating husband tucked in and came back for seconds. Retro Mummy actually inspired me to try this dish. Not that I needed much convincing, I love pumpkin. And did I mention that her Christmas spread looked amazing! I’ll spend Christmas at your place any time Corrie.
There are a few different versions of this dish floating around, but I decided to use one of my favourite dressings from Diabetic Living Magazine because it was so close to Retro Mummy’s version. It basically uses the same ingredients, just slightly different measurements.
Roast Pumpkin, Feta and Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 Butternut Pumpkin, peeled and cubed
200g Feta
1 Bag Baby Spinach Leaves, washed and dried
1/2 Cup Pinenuts, toasted
Dressing:
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbl Mustard
1 Tbl Honey
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Place your pumpkin cubes on a lined baking tray, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. I gave my pumpkin a good toss with a spoon to ensure it was completely coated with the oil and seasonings.
Bake until pumpkin is cooked through, but not soft and soggy. You want it to still be slightly firm, no-one likes a soggy salad. Set aside to cool while you make the rest of the salad.
Place your pinenuts in a frypan and place over a medium heat. Nuts contain natural oils, so you don’t need to add any to the pan. This also means they have a tendency to burn quickly, so make sure you keep and eye on them and toss them around to prevent them from burning.
Combine your dressing ingredients in a bowl or jug and give a good whisk to combine.
Spread your Baby Spinach Leaves across the bottom of your serving tray and lay your cooked pumpkin over the top. Crumble the feta cheese over the pumpkin and spinach, and sprinkle with the roasted pinenuts. Spoon your dressing over the salad and you’re ready to serve.
Notes: You can substitute Dijon Mustard in the dressing for a slightly different flavour.
Recipe Source: http://retromummy.com/2012/11/27/my-christmas-menu-the-recipes/