Taline Gabrielian's best ever baked pumpkin

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized Jap (kent) pumpkin
• 2 tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 tbsp chopped leek, white part only
• ½ long red chilli (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100 g whole or halved Swiss brown mushrooms
• 45 g 1 cup) baby English spinach leaves
• 1–2 tbsp vegetable stock
• 200 g (1 cup) cooked quinoa
• 85 g (½ cup) cooked or tinned chickpeas
• ½ tsp Himalayan salt, or to taste
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds (see tip)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Cut the pumpkin into quarters and remove the seeds. Place on a baking tray or in a baking dish.

Combine a tablespoon of oil with the thyme leaves and salt, then massage over the pumpkin quarters. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the pumpkin is lightly browned and tender when tested with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the leek for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the chilli and garlic and sauté for a further 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir the mushrooms through and sauté briefly, then add the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach has wilted and all the vegetables are nicely coated. Stir in the stock, quinoa and chickpeas and allow to heat through for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the salt, pepper and lemon juice and remove from the heat.

In a small frying pan, toast the almonds over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

When the pumpkin is ready, remove from the oven and arrange on a serving board. Scoop the quinoa mixture into each pumpkin quarter. Add a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Tip: for a nut-free meal, you could use pepitas (pumpkin seeds) instead of the almonds.

This recipe is from Taline Gabrielian’s new book Hippie Lane, The Cookbook published by Murdoch Books and available at all good bookstores. $39.99