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Roasted Pumpkin Salad Recipe

1.2kg pumpkin
20ml (1 tablespoons) oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
16g (about 2 medium) garlic cloves, unpeeled
40ml (2 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar
40ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
20ml (1 tablespoon) honey
100g (about 5 loosely filled cups) baby spinach leaves
75g (1/2 cup) roasted pine nuts
100g feta cheese

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius (190 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, move the oven rack to the middle shelf position.

Cut pumpkin into slices about 2cm thick, and remove skin and seeds. Cut the pumpkin into pieces about 1 - 2cm square.

Place pumpkin pieces on a large baking tray, drizzle with one tablespoon of oil and toss to coat. Spread pumpkin out in a single layer on the tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cut a small amount off the end of each garlic clove (this helps prevent the garlic from bursting out of its skin when roasting) and put garlic on the tray with the pumpkin

Bake pumpkin and garlic for 15 minutes. Remove tray from oven and set garlic aside to cool. Turn the pumpkin pieces over and return to oven. Continue cooking pumpkin for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned and tender when tested with the point of a knife. Allow pumpkin to cool to room temperature

Make dressing (see instructions below).

Arrange spinach leaves, pumpkin and nuts on a serving platter. Shake the dressing and pour over the salad. Crumble feta over the salad and serve immediately.

Dressing
Squeeze garlic from its skin into a bowl

Mash garlic with a fork.

Place garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a screw-top jar .

Cover jar with lid and shake well to combine the ingredients. If it is a cold day, the honey will take a little longer to incorporate.

Approx. 8 serves.

© www.exclusivelyfood.com.au

Cranberry Broccoli Salad

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

½ to ¾ cup cubed red onion

1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)

1/3 cup crumbled well cooked bacon

½ cup Roasted slivered almonds

½ cup Shaved Parmesan cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup thin cream

3T sugar

In a large salad bowl, combine the broccoli, onion, cranberries and bacon. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cream and sugar until smooth. Pour over the broccoli mixture with parmesan cheese and almonds, toss to combine.

Refrigerate until serving.

Serves 6

Recipe from www.tasteofhome.com and modified by Amanda Hall

Sticky Date Pudding

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 250g pitted dates, chopped
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 125g butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups White Wings Self-Raising Flour, sifted

• Caramel sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60g butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 7cm deep, 22cm (base) cake pan.
2. Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.
5. To make sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding. Stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce along with thick cream and ice cream.

Super Food Ideas, July 2004, page 49  www.taste.com.au

Thank you for sending them through Kathryn!!