Pumpkin salad with yoghurt and mustard dressing


Pumpkin salad is a staple in our household. A perfect BBQ offering, steak accompaniment or mid-week healthy dinner. It is fast, tasty and healthy.

Pumpkin is a member of the cucurbita genus family and originated in South and Central America. Native Americans used pumpkins in medicines, dried them for eating and weaved them into mats. Then the Native Americans introduced the pumpkin to the American pilgrims and it became the icon of Thanksgiving. The pumpkin pie was born!

Pumpkins are also synonymous with Halloween, which is why I decided to cook this for my blog. It’s almost Halloween after all! I hope you all have your outfits picked out. I think I may dress up as Where’s Wally (not scary I know).


Ingredients:

Salad
  • 1/4 pumpkin (Jap or butternut is the best in my opinion)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 200 grams baby spinach
  • 200 grams rocket
  • 50 grams feta cheese
  • Pine nuts or walnuts
Dressing
  • 2 tablespoons yoghurt
  • ½ teaspoon of hot grain mustard
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon


Method:
  • Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
  • Skin and cut pumpkin into small pieces and put onto a tray. If you want firmer and more caramelised pumpkin, cut the pieces larger
  • Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and mixed Italian herbs
  • Cook until soft but firm – approximately 25 - 30minutes for small pieces or 40 – 45minutes for larger pieces depending on how hot your oven is
  • Meanwhile mix the yoghurt, hot seeded mustard and lemon juice together to make the dressing
  • Once the pumpkin is cooked, let it cool for 10-15 minutes
  • Lightly toast the walnuts or pine nuts on medium heat until just starting to brown
  • Combine the baby spinach and rocket together in a serving bowl
  • Mix in the pumpkin, crumbled feta and nuts to the baby spinach and rocket
  • Drizzle the yoghurt dressing over the top (to your liking).  


This salad is a great accompaniment to the turkey meatballs with yoghurt sauce from a previous blog post, grilled chicken breast, salmon or beef steak. It does have a kick. Replace hot grain mustard with Dijon mustard if you don’t like spice.

There are some great pumpkin cooking tips on the Taste website - http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/455/pumpkin

My farewell fun yoghurt fact – “yogurt can be made from any mammal that produces milk; Goats, sheep and water buffalo are also common in the United States while other countries often use the milk from a yak or a camel.”

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