Pumpkin, Pecan and Feta Salad

I love the sweet taste of roasted pumpkin and to add some salty feta cheese to it, along with the sweet pecans makes an amazing salad dish.  The Chief Taster loved this and even helped himself to seconds, then ate the rest the next day, so it’s a big thumbs up from him!   It was definitely the sweetness of the pumpkin and pecans that made him reach for the big spoon (he has a sweet tooth that I have to battle with!).    I found this dish to be sweet and creamy with a delightful crunch of the pecans.   I added dried chillies to give the dish a bit of a kick but this is optional and was really for my own personal taste.  I found this delightful served on a bed of lettuce and is a great salad dish.   I am now wondering about making this a bbq dish, cook the pumpkin on the bbq, add the other ingredients and voila!

INGREDIENTS

200g pumpkin, peeled and diced into large cubes

100g feta cheese

1/2 cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped

3 tblspn olive oil

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbspn Balsamic vinegar

1/2 tspn dried chillis (optional)

1/4 tspn salt

1/4 tspn pepper

 METHOD

•  Heat the oven to 200C/400F degrees.
• Toss the pumpkin in the olive oil and place on a roasting tray.  Cook for 30-40 minutes until soft and cooked through.
• Make the dressing by whisking the olive oil, vinegar and seasonings together.
• Once the pumpkin is cool, add the feta and pecan nuts.
• Pour the dressing over the pumpkin mixture and toss thoroughly.
• Eat and enjoy!

Serves 2-4