Roast Pumpkin Feta And Pine Nut Pasty Food

ROAST PUMPKIN, FETA AND PINE NUT PASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220c place pumpkin on a baking tray and toss with olive oil garlic and salt and pepper.
• Roast in oven for 40 minutes or until cooked and golden.
• Remove and allow to cool.
• Evenly divide the pumpkin among the four pastry squares, placing in the centre.
• Top with oregano, feta and pine nuts. Drizzle with a little of the feta marinating oil.
• Bring 2 of the diagonally opposite corners together and pinch to seal along the edges.
• The base will be square the top will be a pyramid shape.
• Twist the top to seal where the four corners meet.
• Place the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to make an egg wash for the pastry.
• Place the pasties on a baking tray and brush with the egg wash.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sea salt and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

ROAST PUMPKIN SALAD WITH FETA, PINE NUTS & BABY SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
• Chop the pumpkin into small slices or chunks and remove the skin.
• Drizzle a flat baking tray with the olive oil, add the pumpkin pieces and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender (but not too soft). Set aside.
• Place the pine nuts into a small frying pan over low/medium heat. Cook, while stirring regularly, until lightly golden (keep a close eye on them as they can easily burn). Set aside.
• Layer the baby spinach, pumpkin, pine nuts and feta cheese in a serving bowl or dish.
• To make the dressing, place the honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk with the fork until combined.
• Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine and serve immediately.

FETA PINE NUT DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Toast pine nuts in a shallow baking pan, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
• Cool and chop finely.
• Combine nuts, red pepper, parsley, basil, and mint in a medium bowl.
• Crumble feta in small pieces; add to nuts.
• Whisk garlic, salt, pepper, and yogurt in a small bowl until well blended.
• Stir into the nut and feta mixture.
• Cover and chill for one hour.
• Serve with crackers.

WARM PUMPKIN, PINE NUT & FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Skin pumpkin and kumara. Dice into large cubes and either 1) boil until just cooked, or 2) if you have enough time, roast vegetables until just cooked instead.
• Toast pine nuts under a broiler (grill) until it smells like popcorn when they'll be just browning. Give them a shuffle every few minutes to keep them turned while they're toasting.
• Dice feta into smaller cubes.
• Mix together the oil, balsamic and wholegrain mustard. Toss the pumpkin, kumara, feta and pine nuts with the dressing and serve.

MINI PUMPKIN & FETA PIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the squash and unpeeled garlic into a roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, season and toss to coat. Roast for 30 mins, stirring halfway through, until soft. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, cook the onion in a frying pan over a medium heat with the remaining 1 tbsp oil for 8-10 mins until tender and slightly golden. Leave to cool.
• Tip the flour, turmeric and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Add the butter and whizz until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the egg yolks and 2 tsp cold water, and blitz again until the mixture starts to clump together. Squeeze it between your fingers - if it sticks together, tip the mixture onto a work surface. If it's too dry, add more water, 1 tsp at a time. Knead the pastry a few times just to bring it together, but don't overwork it. Shape into two circles, one slightly smaller than the other, then wrap in baking parchment and chill in the fridge for at least 20 mins.
• Squeeze the garlic from its skins into the roasted squash and mash together. Add the fried onion, grate over some nutmeg, tip in the chilli flakes, if using, and feta, and mix.
• Butter six holes of a muffin tin and line each with a strip of baking parchment that overhangs the top. Roll the larger circle of pastry out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a 10cm cutter to stamp out six circles (you may need to re-roll the pastry to get all six). Press the pastry circles into the prepared muffin tin, patching any cracks with the pastry offcuts. Spoon in the squash filling.
• Roll the remaining pastry circle out as you did the large one, but use an 8cm cutter to cut out six lids. Cut spooky pumpkin faces into the lids using a small, sharp knife. Press the lids over the pies in the tin and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 40 mins until golden brown, then leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin before lifting out. Eat hot or leave to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days or the freezer for up to two months. Reheat in a low oven for 10 mins, if you like.