Pumpkin contains many useful substances necessary for the body, so it must be included in the diet of a person who monitors health and adheres to the principles of proper nutrition. To make the pumpkin tasty and preserve the maximum of useful substances, it is best to bake it in the oven. There are several ways to bake.
Pick your recipe
You will need
- Baked pumpkin with vegetables and apples
- - 500 g of pumpkin pulp;
- - 2 peeled white turnips;
- - 1 peeled small rutabaga;
- - 2 medium apples with hard flesh;
- - 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- - ½ cup dried cranberries;
- - 1 tablespoon of whiskey;
- - 1 tablespoon of butter;
- - ½ cup pumpkin seeds;
- - a pinch of cayenne pepper;
- - salt, freshly ground black pepper.
- Pumpkin French Fries
- - 500 g of pumpkin pulp;
- - 2 teaspoons of corn starch;
- - 2 teaspoons of olive oil;
- - 1 teaspoon of paprika;
- - 1 teaspoon of garlic powder;
- - 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese;
- - ½ cup freshly chopped parsley;
- - ½ teaspoon of medium ground sea salt.
Instruction manual
1
How to choose a pumpkin for baking
Although any pumpkin can be baked, not all of them will be equally tasty. Giant pumpkins look attractive, but their taste and texture leave much to be desired. They have too thick peel, little pulp and it is viscous and watery, besides they have too many fibers and seeds. Pumpkins weighing from a kilogram to three are more suitable for baking. They are sweeter, more fragrant, their flesh is dense, juicy and silky, there are many, and besides, they are easier to cut. It is best to choose nutmeg varieties of pumpkins. This is normal if the peel of the vegetable looks a little dull, the main thing is that there should be no dents or spots on it, including small ones. When buying, give preference to those instances that are slightly heavier than their "brothers" - they have more pulp. Pay attention to the "tail" of the pumpkin to be whole, not broken off. If the pumpkin stalk is roughly broken off, the vegetable can begin to rot quickly.
2
How to prepare a pumpkin for baking
Wash the pumpkin under a stream of warm running water, removing dirt and debris. Wipe with paper towels and lay on a cutting surface. With a sharp knife with a wide cloth known as a chef knife, cut off the top along with the stem. Divide the pumpkin into two halves. Remove the fibers and seeds. This is most conveniently done with a metal spoon with a sharp edge. Pumpkin seeds can be washed and prepared from them a delicious snack, so do not throw them away.
3
You can bake pumpkin halves. It takes about 60-90 minutes. Slicing a pumpkin sliced takes up to 40 minutes. The fastest way to bake a pumpkin, cut into cubes or sticks. The vegetable will become soft after 20 minutes.
4
Sliced Pumpkin
Cut the prepared pumpkin into slices 4-5 centimeters thick. Lay each wedge peeled down on a baking sheet covered with foil or baking parchment. Between the slices should be 2-3 centimeters so that they do not stick together and the heat can do its job.
Using a culinary brush, grease the pulp with vegetable oil. Suitable sunflower, olive, rapeseed, grape seed oil and pumpkin. If you want to make mashed potato from pumpkin pulp that can be stored and then used to make soups, pies, muffins, it is better not to season the vegetable with anything, but if you plan to serve the pumpkin right away, as a side dish or dessert, then it's time to give it additional shades of taste.
5
Herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary and their mixture are perfectly combined with pumpkin. Use dried herbs, not fresh ones. Also, pumpkin can be seasoned with caraway seeds, red pepper, curry, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt should not be forgotten. The “sweet” pumpkin is seasoned with cinnamon, ground cloves, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and citrus zest.
6
Place the baking tray with pumpkin in the oven, preheated to 200 ° C. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking readiness with the tip of a knife or fork. Remove the finished pumpkin from the oven and let it cool slightly. The peel from the baked pumpkin is very easy to remove.
7
Sliced Pumpkin
To bake a pumpkin in pieces, it should not only be chopped, but also peeled from slices. The further procedure may differ from baking larger pieces only by the cooking time. But if you wish, you can complicate the task and prepare a more intricate dish from the vegetable. Sliced pumpkin can be mixed with other vegetables, such as potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, onions. Pumpkin pulp goes well with apples, raisins, dried cranberries. And even with one and the other at the same time.
8
Baked pumpkin with vegetables and apples
Cut apples into slices, pumpkin, swede and turnip in the same cubes. Put on a baking sheet with high boots, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Bake in the oven preheated to 220 ° C for about 15 minutes, turning the mixture several times.
9
Soak dried cranberries in ¼ cup boiling water, add a little whiskey. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until slightly cracked. Season with salt and cayenne pepper, shake and remove from heat. Put the baked pieces in a deep bowl, add cranberries and mix. Serve sprinkled with fried seeds.
10
Pumpkin French Fries
To prepare fake pumpkin fries, cut the prepared vegetable pulp into strips and soak in a bowl with cold water for a period of 30 minutes to 10-12 hours.
eleven
Drain and dry the pumpkin slices with paper towels. Line the baking sheet with baking parchment, preheat the oven to 220 ° C.
Put the pumpkin straws in a zip bag, add corn starch and shake the bag several times so that the pieces of the vegetable are completely covered with starch. Transfer to a deep bowl and drizzle with olive oil, season with paprika and garlic powder. Mix well with your hands so that the oil and spices are well distributed on the pumpkin straws.
12
Put the pumpkin slices on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake in a pre-prepared oven for 10-15 minutes until the straw turns golden brown and golden. While the pumpkin is baking, mix chopped parsley, sea salt and grated parmesan. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the cooked mixture. Serve with aioli sauce.
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