Roasted Pumpkin Dessert

This is a healthier variation of a favorite seasonal dessert from Turkey. Easy to make, with a beautiful presentation, it can replace traditional pumpkin pie as a more nutritious, lower glycemic dessert with heart-healthy fats from the nuts. It can also take the place of yams or sweet potatoes with marshmallows as a side dish. No refined anything here!

And only 3 ingredients!

Prep Time:  About 15-20 minutes. The better your knife, the less your prep time!
Cook Time:  45-75 minutes
Yield: Depends on the size of the pumpkin. Usually about 12 servings.

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin, about 12 – 16″ in diameter
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash the pumpkin.
3. Prep your workspace – you may want to lay out some newspaper or towels under the pumpkin to make cleanup easier
4. Using a sturdy knife, cut the pumpkin in half
5. Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy bits. Put seeds aside if you want to roast them for later.
6. Cut pumpkin into 2″ thick slices (like a melon slice). Cut these in half as well, across the middle, so that you have two triangular shapes (easier to cook and serve).
7. Place in oven-safe baking dish. Drizzle all the pumpkin slices with the agave nectar. Beware: agave nectar is sweeter-tasting than sugar, so don’t overdo it.
8. Bake until fork pierces easily through the pumpkin, indicating it’s cooked.
9. Serve warm, topped with 2 TBS of crumbled nuts per slice of pumpkin.

Variations

When we were in Florida over Thanksgiving, I got a Kabocha squash (a japanese pumpkin) for my mom to try right before we left. She couldn’t reach me in time to ask what to do with it, so she treated it like a regular pumpkin and made this traditional Turkish dessert – brilliant, mom! I love creative and intuitive cooking.

• Try kabocha squash (japanese pumpkin) instead of a regular pumpkin. With kabocha squash, you can eat the skin when cooked as well, for the added fiber.
• Save and clean off the seeds from the pumpkin and roast separately for a healthy snack
• Use crumbled pecans, pistachios, or almonds for the nut shopping instead
• Great for breakfast:  add some toasted oats and enjoy with a glass of your favorite milk beverage or alternative

Enjoy!

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If you share this recipe, please include this blurb with it:

This recipe is shared with you courtesy of Simla Somturk Wickless, MBA, CHC, CNE, and founder of Delicious Health, Inc., a health, nutrition, and lifestyle consultancy whose mission is to transform busy bodies into healthy, balanced beings (TM). Learn more about Delicious Health at www.enjoydelicioushealth.com or www.delicioushealthblog.com. Have a deliciously healthy day!