In autumn, the pumpkin is not only because of Halloween a vegetable that can not be imagined without. The seasonal and regional vegetable can enrich our menu in many ways and provides us with important active ingredients for our health, such as beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and iron.
The variety comes on the one hand from the different types of pumpkin and on the other hand from countless ways to prepare pumpkin. Don't be put off by the fact that pumpkin can be a stubborn vegetable when it comes to chopping and peeling.
My tip in this matter is: Choose the Hokkaido pumpkin variety, because you can also eat it with its skin, and use a large and very sharp knife for cutting. In the following recipe, the pumpkin has been combined with another autumn vegetable - the leek - to make a healthy quinoa vegetable pan. The recipe can be easily prepared in everyday life with a little preparation.
Ingredients for 4 people:
Step 1
Prepare the mise en place. Cut the pumpkin in half with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Then cut into strips about 1 cm wide and chop into small, even pieces.
Wash, halve and finely chop the leeks. Peel and finely dice the onions and garlic.
Wash and finely chop the parsley. Pluck the thyme leaves from the twigs. Finally, wash the lemon hot, dry it and peel long zests from the lemon zest with a zester.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large pan - I choose a wok pan - over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté a little. Then add the leek and pumpkin together with the herbs and lemon zest. Finally, season with salt and pepper and sauté covered for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.
Now prepare the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold running water. Put it in a pot with some salt and plenty of water. Bring to the boil on the highest heat and then simmer the quinoa on medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes until it is soft. At the end, strain off the excess water.
Step 3
Season the cooked vegetables with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Carefully mix in the sieved quinoa.
Step 4
Roast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until they start to pop and sprinkle over the food. Bon apetit!
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