My craving for everything pumpkin has not died down since October. How adorable is this little pumpkin I found at the grocery store? I couldn’t resist buying it! Once I brought it home I started to scan Pinterest looking for unique pumpkin recipes and I came across a recipe for pumpkin dressing which I thought would pair nicely with a winter squash and beet salad. This little guy made about 3 cups of pumpkin puree so I froze the extra and cooked seeds so that nothing went to waste.
I am funny when it comes to salads. I don’t really enjoy eating them during the warm summer months but come fall gimmie all the roasted veggies, squash varieties, and toasted nuts and I am ALL about them. They are just so hearty and filling and the colors of the ingredients are just gorgeous.
This was also my first attempt at roasting beets and it was actually pretty easy. Using a peeler I took off the skin and then cut them into small pieces and roasted them in a 400F oven with olive oil and Himalayan pink salt for 15-20 minutes until they were fork tender. Next time I plan to try roasting them with the skin on since I heard that is easier for skin removal compared to the peeler method.
Have you ever roasted beets? What have you found is the best and easiest way to do it?
- [b]For the Pumpkin Dressing:[/b]
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup pure pumpkin puree (fresh or canned but if you go for canned make sure it is pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Place all ingredients in a blender or Nutri-Bullet and pulse to combine. Add more olive oil if needed to get the consistent you like.
- Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
My salad was a spinach and arugula mixture topped with roasted acorn squash (that I seasoned with olive oil, pure maple syrup, pink Himalayan salt, and fresh pepper), roasted beets, toasted pecans, and gorgonzola cheese. Sweet potatoes or butternut squash would also make a good substitute for this salad as well.
This makes a lot of dressing so store the extra in glass jar and keep in the fridge.
Did you know there are a lot of health benefits from not only the pumpkin but the seeds as well? As well as a variety of ways to prepare it such as baking, boiling, roasting, and even microwaving! Learn more about all the amazing health benefits and ways to prepare pumpkin over at Positive Health Wellness.
What is your favorite way to prepare pumpkin?
Emily J. Goodman 