QUINOA & RICOTTA STUFFED PUMPKIN
Looking for a vegetarian main for your Sunday roast, or perhaps the holiday season?
Well, look no further… this is the perfect vegetarian, gluten free and nut free recipe that will be a show stopper for your guests.
This ‘Veg’ will be the star of the dinner table !
INGREDIENTS:
1 small (1.9kg) kent pumpkin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs honey
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
80g light ricotta
400g canned chickpeas
1-2 small beetroot
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper
Cut pumpkin in half crossways and scoop out and discard seeds. Place pumpkin cut side up on prepared tray and season with paprika and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Cut off ends of beetroots and cover with tin foil.
Roast beetroot and pumpkin for 45-1 hour or until golden and tender. Spoon out any liquid in the pumpkin and discard.
With a 1/4 teaspoon tool, scoop out ball balls from the beetroot.
Lightly toast quinoa in a saucepan for 1 minute, constantly shaking. Add water and cook for 15-20 or until fluffy.
Roast or air fry chickpeas with extra virgin olive oil for 15-20 minutes or until crunchy
Drizzle pumpkin with honey. Combine quinoa with ricotta, lemon zest and juice.
Top with roasted chickpeas, mint and beetroot.
Season with salt and pepper to serve
You can alter this meal to your taste and budget, some examples:
Swap beetroot to pomegranate or cranberries
Swap chickpeas to nuts (almonds or walnuts)
Swap quinoa to brown rice
Swap ricotta with feta or cottage cheese
Make vegan by using a plant based cheese (and swap the honey for maple syrup)