ELIZE’S OVEN-ROASTED PUMPKIN

Perfectly roasted pumpkin: an easy, spicy baked pumpkin recipe, you can enjoy this as a vegetarian meal with yogurt dip or as a side dish for meat, poultry or fish.

6 – 8 slices of gem squash/Hubbard squash/Hokkaido, peeled or skin left on
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon hot paprika powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Wash and dry the pumpkin, you don’t have to peel. If you are using butternut squash or other sort of pumpkin, you will have to peel this. Remove the seeds.

Cut the pumpkin into wedges, about 1.5 cm/ 0.6 inches thick.

Place in a casserole dish if you are baking them directly.

In a small bowl mix together the roughly chopped garlic and the spices.

Add the olive oil and stir to blend. You could add more olive oil if you wish.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the mixture over the pumpkin wedges and rub well to make sure that all the wedges are coated in the spice mixture.

Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Roast for 25-30 minutes until the wedges are as soft.
Check them after about 20 minutes .

Serve hot with as a side dish.

Note:

Hokkaido is also called red kuri squash. Butternut squash can be used instead, but butternut squash needs to be peeled before roasting.

Other spice mixtures:
3-4 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika powder, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder, 2 grated garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, 2 grated garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 ts ground coriander, 1/8 tteaspoon nutmeg, red chili flakes (to taste) and salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons clear honey, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tablespoons soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, pinch ground cloves, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and a little salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon allspice, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and a little salt

Recipe and photo: Elize de Kock