With these pumpkin recipes, digestive and full of substances with beneficial effects on health, you will enjoy healthy, light and delicious dinners.
Among vegetables, due to its shape and nutritional richness, pumpkin is a kind of “treasure chest”. In fact, its robust and hard rind reveals a pulp whose orange colour suggests a concentrate of vitality that it is wise to take advantage of, especially in autumn and winter cooking.
So, now that pumpkin is in season, it’s a great idea to include it on menus. Here we propose recipes with pumpkin to make light, nutritious and delicious dinners, although of course you can also enjoy them at lunchtime.
In the composition of pumpkin, carbohydrates stand out, as well as a high percentage of water, which makes it a light and nutritious food, especially recommended when you want to lose weight. In addition, pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene, the antioxidant pigment that is transformed into vitamin A in the body. Beta-carotene is responsible for the orange colour of pumpkin, which makes it ideal for adding colour to our preparations.
ENJOY THESE 5 PUMPKIN DINNER RECIPES!
PUMPKIN AND ORANGE SEED SALAD
In this recipe, pumpkin is combined with pumpkin, sunflower, and poppy seeds, which enrich the salad with their minerals and healthy fats. In the dressing, a surprising combination: orange and ginger add a touch of citrus and spiciness.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 400 g peanut squash, peeled
- 2 medium oranges
- Half a bunch of garlic or chives
- Green pumpkin, sunflower and poppy seeds
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- Pepper and salt
Preparation (25′ + 1′ cooking)
- Cut the squash into long wedges, two fingers wide, and peel it.
- Cut those pumpkin wedges into thin slices and season them lightly.
- Remove a few thin strips of peel from the oranges and set aside.
- Squeeze the juice from the orange and macerate the pumpkin in it for about ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, blanch the orange peel strips for a minute.
- After the time to marinate the pumpkin, drain it without discarding the orange juice.
- Emulsify two tablespoons of this juice with the oil, salt, pepper and one tablespoon of grated ginger.
- Mix the pumpkin with the blanched orange peel, seeds and finely chopped garlic.
- Season with the sauce and serve warm.
One serving of this recipe provides: 280 calories, 20 g of carbohydrates, 8 g of protein and 18 g of fat and 100% of the provitamin A required daily.
NERONE RICE CAKE WITH PUMPKIN
Nerone rice is a whole grain variety of Chinese origin. There it was highly regarded and reserved for the emperor’s family. It is very rich in antioxidants, one tablespoon of this rice contains the same number of anthocyanins as one tablespoon of blueberries. Pumpkin and tomatoes also provide antioxidants, in the form of lycopene.
Ingredients for 4 people
- 350 g nerone rice
- 850 ml water or stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large pumpkin
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- A few rosemaries leaves
- A few fresh chives leaves
- Virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Basil sauce on the side
Preparation
- Put the rice over a high heat along with the water, bay leaf, a drizzle of oil and salt. As soon as it boils, lower the heat and cook, with the pot covered, until it absorbs the water (45 minutes). Remove the bay leaf and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the pumpkin, extract the seeds and make similar tacos. Put them on a baking sheet with a level teaspoon of salt, a little nutmeg and rosemary. Add a splash of oil and stir.
- On another tray (or in the same one, but separately), distribute the tomatoes washed with salt and oil.
- Place the trays in the preheated oven at 180°C, about 35 minutes.
- Paint a rectangular mold with oil, add half of the cooked rice and compress it. On top, the roasted pumpkin and then the rest of the rice, until it covers the vegetable, and compress slightly.
- Cover the pan with parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes. Then, let it rest.
- Cut into four portions and serve topped with tomatoes and chives. Serve with a basil sauce.
VEGETABLE CEVICHE WITH BEETROOT, PUMPKIN AND DAIKON
The classic ceviche consists of fish or seafood marinated in citrus juices. Like sushi, we can also veganize ceviche, enjoying a very healthy and nutritious version. This vegan variant of ceviche is a creative dish full of colour, flavour and the freshness of citrus juices.
Ingredients for 4
- 2 medium beets
- 2 mini carrots
- Half a daikon turnip
- Half a peanut squash
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 kg coarse cooking salt
- Water
- Salt
For the tiger’s milk
- 3 g garlic
- 10 g fresh ginger
- 50 g celery
- 75 g white onion
- 20 g coriander
- 30 g sea lettuce
- 50 ml lemon juice
- 50 ml lime juice
- A pinch of green chilli
- Olive oil
- Salt
Preparation
- To prepare tiger’s milk, chop the garlic, ginger, celery and onion and mix them with the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Blend and pass through a fine sieve. Then bind the thread with the olive oil and set aside.
- Cover the beets with salt (unpeeled) and split the squash in two. Bake at 180°C for about 45 minutes. Once done, carefully clean the salt from the beets, peel them and cut them into cubes. Peel the squash and cut it into cubes.
- With a lace, open a cross at the base of the tomatoes and blanch them for 1 minute in salted water. Cool quickly, peel them, cut them into 8 and remove the seeds. Reservation.
- Peel the carrots and blanch them in salted water for 30 seconds. Cool quickly and set aside.
- Slice the daikon turnip with a mandolin or a peeler and set aside.
- In a bowl, marinate the vegetables in the tiger’s milk for 5 minutes and serve a selection of each vegetable, sauced with more tiger’s milk.
GOOD PUMPKIN VIBE
There are no magic recipes to fight inflammation in our bodies. But maintaining a plant-based diet, with products that are not subjected to processes that alter them, is of great help in reversing inflammation. Thanks to the combination of turmeric, olive oil, pumpkin and other vegetables, this recipe has digestive and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ingredients for 4
For the dough
- 100 g golden linen
- 300 g pumpkin
- 100 g apple
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tbsp. turmeric
- 2 tbsp. tsp. olive oil
For the filling
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 1 beetroot, grated
- 2 carrots, shredded
- A handful of sprouts
- A handful of arugula
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp. Tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 150 ml cold water
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
Preparation
- For the dough, soak the flax overnight. Wash it. Blend all the ingredients until you get an unctuous dough.
- Put the thin dough in two trays of the dehydrator: 4 hours at 40-45 °C on each side.
- Divide the dough of each tray into 4 parts with the scissors.
- For the sauce, dilute the tahini with the lemon, add salt, garlic, cumin and, a little at a time, the water while whisking with a fork.
- Fill the dough with the vegetables, pour in the sauce and roll up.
POMEGRANATE AND PUMPKIN WOK SALAD
This recipe combines two fall ingredients: pumpkin and pomegranate. The antioxidant power of pomegranate helps keep the heart healthier. It is also an aphrodisiac and useful against inflammation.
Enjoy it in this recipe: one serving provides us with 498 calories, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein and 39 grams of fat.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 250g pumpkin, peeled and trimmed
- 2 grenades
- 50 g peeled pine nuts
- 50 g peeled walnuts
- 200 g vegan cheese
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
- Tamari
- A bunch of mint
Preparation (15′ + 5′ cooking)
- Heat the oil in the wok and sauté the pumpkin for a few minutes.
- Add a few drops of tamari and continue sautéing until golden brown. Then let drain on paper towels.
- Shell the pomegranate and divide it among the plates along with the nuts and pumpkin.
- Crumble the cheese with your fingers and add it to the salad along with some mint leaves.
- For the dressing, mix the rest of the oil, vinegar and salt in a bowl and shake with a whisk.
- Dress the salad and serve immediately.
