Holiday Roasted Pumpkin with Cranberries
I recently got back to Hong Kong from a trip to Japan; probably my favorite trip ever. Our group planned to celebrate Halloween in Tokyo, wearing inflatable unicorn costumes, wigs, tons of glitter, and ridiculous jackets. Mine was an all-over galaxy print with cats on the back lol! This was, hands down, the best Halloween I've ever had, and probably one of the most memorable nights of my life, period. Japanese nationals flocked to us, taking photos, drinking, and celebrating with us. The streets of Shibuya were packed with people, and it was definitely an amazing night. Japan is no doubt, my favorite place in the world, and I am so thankful I got to take another trip back this year. The other goals for the trips were to see the Fall colors, Mt. Fuji, and eat everything. Mission accomplished.
The Fall colors amazed me; believe it or not, it was my first time seeing the colors change. Growing up on the West coast, I've never experienced seeing the leaves turn color and fall to the ground. Every time I've visited the East coast, I've missed the color change by a week or so. We were able to see such beautiful Fall colors and I am so, so grateful. It definitely got me in the mood for the holidays.
Speaking of the holidays, this week's recipe is a simple and cozy side dish that is wonderful for this time of year. Roasting vegetables brings so much depth of flavor to the party, and also gives each piece of pumpkin a nice toasty edge. Adding pumpkin seeds for crunch, and dried cranberries for a tart contrast makes this the easiest dish to bring to your holiday parties this year.
This recipe is completely adaptable. Don't have pumpkin? Try butternut squash or sweet potato. I like adding cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, but roasting the veg with trimmed Brussels sprouts, bacon, prosciutto, shallots, pecans, kale, ginger, chili, or cumin is wonderful as well. In this recipe, I finish off the dish with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, and flaky sea salt, but fresh parsley, feta, or even tossing it with pasta is delicious, too! Watch the video recipe below and let's get cookin!
Ingredients You Need:
- 1 lb peeled, seeded, and cubed pumpkin (or squash or sweet potatoes)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- a few dashes of cinnamon
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- honey or maple syrup
Other Ideas:
- feta, cumin, chili, Brussels sprouts, hemp seeds, bacon, prosciutto, kale, shallots, pecans, parsley, ginger
Cooking Method:
- Preheat your oven (or toaster oven!) to 400F / 200C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash, peel, seed, and cube the pumpkin, squash, or sweet potato. 1" cubes should be great!
- Toss cubed pumpkin with 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add a few dashes of cinnamon. (Here is where you can add Brussels, hemp seeds, other spices for roasting)
- Spread pumpkin mixture into an even layer on the baking sheet.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes at 400F / 200C.
- Finish by mixing in dried cranberries and adding a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and flaky sea salt.
Your house is going to smell amazing!! There's nothing like a nutritious, sweet, and salty side dish that is as flavorful as it is colorful. During the holidays, time is always precious and I love dishes that are simple to make. This is truly a 'set it and forget it' recipe. All you've got to do is chop up the pumpkin, and then roast it all off! Hope you try this one :)
You can find me on IG and Twitter @brokeandcooking / #brokeandcooking! :)
