Stuffed Roast Butternut Pumpkin

Tonight I thought I'd creative and trial a couple of vegetable side dishes to add to our Christmas buffet.

Butternut Pumpkin

Butternut pumpkin is always a favorite, so I halved one lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, rubbed a little virgin oil and seasoned with salt and cracked pepper, before roasting for a little over an hour at 180 degrees (fan forced oven).

In a bowl, I combined:

1/2 finely chopped red onion
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I use gluten-free)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 cup tasty grated cheese
1 egg lightly beaten

Mixed all ingredients, using only 1/2 the grated cheese.

Removed butternut pumpkin from oven, spooned mixture into hollows, then returned to oven for a further 15 minutes.
Removed once again, sprinkled remaining grated cheese over top, then popped back into oven for a few minutes until cheese melted.


I also had a zucchini in the fridge, so I halved it lengthwise, scooped out the seeds and filled it with the remaining breadcrumb mixture.

Having placed the halves on a tray, I popped it into the oven to roast for 25 minutes, then removed the tray, sprinkled a little grated cheese on top and returned it to the oven for a few minutes to melt.

Roast Stuffed Zucchini 

Whilst the pumpkin and zucchini were roasting, I roasted a small sweet potato, cut into 1 cm slices and remaining red onion, sliced, so it cooked nice and crispy for 40 minutes.







I also added a few halved cherry tomatoes during the last 10 minutes of roasting.

This made for a scrumptious, healthy gluten free, vegetarian meal and I will definitely cook the stuffed roast butternut pumpkin on Christmas day. 

Roasted Stuffed Butternut Pumpkin

Julie's Gluten Free Carrot Cake

This has always been a favourite with family for many years, though since I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease several years ago, I have had to modify a couple of the ingredients.

Also, depending who I am making it for (as some prefer it with fruit) I use only ¾ cup of soft brown sugar when adding ½ cup of chopped dates, then it's not overly sweet.

Ingredients for cake

3 eggs
1 cup grape seed oil

1 cup soft brown sugar (3/4 cup if adding dates)

1 ½ cups of gluten free self-raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grond nutmeg

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)

2 cups grated carrot

Preheat oven to moderate 180 degrees or 170 degrees for fan forced.

Prepare a deep 23cm (9 inch) square cake tin by lining the base and sides with baking paper.

Mix to combine the eggs, oil and the brown sugar in a large bowl.

Add the sifted flour, soda, salt and cinnamon and beat with electric beaters until the mixture is smooth.

Stir in the grated carrot, walnuts and chopped dates (if desired)

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave for at least 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Some prefer the cake without a icing, but then again, depending who I am making it for I make a cream cheese topping as follows:

Ingredients for icing
125 grams softened cream cheese

30 grams butter

1 cup soft icing mixture

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat all these ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Spread over the cake and top with a few chopped walnuts.