I recently attended my beautiful niece’s 1st birthday party, and my sister asked me to bring along a green salad. As it is currently winter, I decided to make a warm salad to suit the cold Canberra climate. The salad was a hit with the guests, and so I thought I would share it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large butternut pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, and cut into bite size pieces
• 40gms pine nuts
• 160gms baby spinach leaves
• 100gms reduced fat feta, crumbled or cut into small pieces
• Handful of shredded or shaved parmesan cheese
• Dash of balsamic vinegar
• Dash of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees (note: I have a fan forced oven).
2. Place pumpkin pieces on grease proof paper on a baking tray and lightly spray them with olive oil spray. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.
3. Lightly toast pine nuts in a dry frying pan.
4. Place pumpkin, feta and spinach in a bowl.
5. Add a dash of olive oil and balsamic to the salad, and toss ingredients together.
6. Garnish with parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.

This recipe will serve  5-6 as a side dish or 3-4 as a light lunch.

For more salad ideas you can check out my chicken, roast potato and eggplant salad, cous cous salad and tabouleh recipes.

Tags: recipe