Cooking with butternut pumpkin

Just so you know, technically, pumpkin is a fruit, but it is usually referred to as a vegetable because that’s how we use it in the kitchen. Butternut pumpkin has a seriously sweet and creamy interior that is so versatile, virtually the only thing you can’t do with it is eat it raw. It goes beautifully in a risotto, a gratin, a mash, a warm salad and even a cake or jam. Try some of our luscious butternut pumpkin recipes like: pumpkin, carrot and turmeric soup; pumpkin and potato cottage pie; pesto pumpkin pizza; pumpkin, sage and bacon soup; vegan mac and “cheese”; pumpkin, goat's cheese and red onion quiche; butternut pumpkin soup with tahini and pistachios; roast pumpkin and walnut dip; and pumpkin cinnamon pancakes.

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin

Recipe / Lisa Guy

Including orange vegetables like pumpkin in the diet is a great way to boost your eye health and vision, along with helping to promote healthy skin. Pumpkin is a rich source of beta-carotene, which is an important nutrient that’s converted into vitamin A in the body. It also has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Serves: 4–5

1 butternut pumpkin
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch sea salt
¼ cup quinoa, rinsed
4 Brussels sprouts, shredded
2 handfuls roughly chopped kale, stems removed
2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
¼ cup mixed nuts & seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, pistachio, almond)
Handful fresh herbs (mint, coriander)
¼ cup dried cranberries or diced apricots, or a mix of both

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Slice pumpkin down the centre, longways and scoop out the seeds.

Place pumpkin halves on a baking tray and drizzle in a little olive oil and season with sea salt.

Bake for 40–50 mins until the pumpkin is tender and cooked through.

Place quinoa in a small saucepan covered with water. Bring