Earlier this week I posted a recipe for Pumpkin Banana muffins.  I’m sort of a pumpkin fanatic – it’s one of those genius foods that’s great as an appetizer, entree, dessert, and even breakfast!  Not only is this Halloween-famed veggie super tasty, it’s loaded with incredible health benefits!  Some worth noting are it’s high fiber and Vitamin A content…oh, and it’s also low in calories.  In love yet?

So… why is fiber important?  It’s probably most popular for aiding with bowel movements but it does quite a bit more.  It protects your body from hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer.  It also helps regulate blood sugar , lower cholesterol levels, oh….AND it promotes weight loss.

What about Vitamin A?  Vitamin A is extremely important for vision and a healthy immune system – something worth  boosting as we head into the winter months.

Pumpkin is so great in sweets but I also adore it roasted.  Try out this yummy Roasted Pumpkin Salad Recipe I found on 101cookbooks.com.

Austinites: Be sure to check out the Pumpkin dish at Parkside this winter. Yum, yum, yum!

Roasted Pumpkin Salad Recipe

I know many people have an aversion to cilantro – feel free to leave it out. This will change the personality and flavor profile of the dressing, but it will still taste delicious.

3 cups of pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
extra-virgin olive oi
fine grain sea salt

12 tiny red onions or shallots, peeled (OR 3 medium red onions peeled and quartered)
2 cups cooked wild rice*

1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375.
Toss the pumpkin in a generous splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt, and turn out onto a baking sheet. At the same time, toss the onions with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and turn out onto a separate baking sheet. Roast both for about 45 minutes, or until squash is brown and caramelized. The same goes for the onions, they should be deeply colored, caramelized, and soft throughout by the time they are done roasting. You’ll need to flip both the squash and onion pieces once or twice along the way – so it’s not just one side that is browning.

In the meantime, make the dressing. With a hand blender or food processor puree the sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and honey until creamy. You may need to add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the dressing a bit. Stir in the cilantro, saving just a bit to garnish the final plate later. Taste and adjust seasonings (or flavors) to your liking – I usually need to add a touch more salt with this dressing.

In a large bowl, toss the wild rice with a large dollop of the dressing. Add the onions, gently toss just once or twice. Turn the rice and onions out onto a platter and top with the roasted squash (I’ll very gently toss with my hands here to disperse the pumpkin a bit). Finish with another drizzle of dressing and any remaining chopped cilantro.

Serves 4.

* To cook wild rice: Rinse 1 1/2 cups wild rice. In a medium sauce pan bring the rice and 4 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and splitting open, stirring occasionally. You’ll have enough for this recipe and some leftover.