I sometimes make pumpkin puree to make sauces. Pumpkin sauce is one of my favourite cooking experiments. It’s very easy to make. Its orange colour and mild sweetness are very attractive.
This pumpkin and lily root bulb congee is so good for cleansing our digestive system. I like the natural sweetness of pumpkin, that's going so well with the rice grains and lily root bulbs.
I often like cooking pumpkin as it’s cheap, yet tasty and loaded with nutrients that will help our heart, bones, eyes and skin. I simply steam it, bake it or braise it with pork ribs. The cooking ideas of pumpkin are endless. This time I experimented to make Chinese congee with pumpkin.
This creamy baked pumpkin recipe was adapted from "Cook with Jamie". Believe me, it's totally simple and delicious.
I chose and cooked this creamy baked pumpkin from the cookbook “Cook with Jamie” by Jamie Oliver, because of returning the favour for my daughter’s present to me. Pumpkin is one of my favourite vegetables. More importantly, this is a no-brainer recipe and a keeper for any days throughout the year whenever I crave for a pumpkin dish.
I only used the ingredients that I’ve stocked in my kitchen. The original recipe yields white wine, Chardonnay and coriander seeds that I skipped in my cooking.
Although I skipped these two ingredients, we’re very satisfied with the end results. This simplified version was delicious enough to make our taste buds dance.
This baked pumpkin dish can be served as a side, perfectly pairing with beef steaks, lamb cutlets or baked chicken. To myself, this pumpkin dish is the superstar of our meal. Its creamy texture and deliciousness was amazingly memorable.
Creamy Baked Pumpkin Recipe
(Printable recipe) By Christine’s Recipes (Adapted from “Cook with Jamie”, p.350 ) Prep time: Cook time: Yield: 3 to 4 serves
Ingredients:
650 gm pumpkin
3/4 cup (about 200 ml) light thickened cream
2 to 3 sprigs thyme
Parmesan cheese, to taste
⅛ tsp nutmeg
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
olive oil, to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 200C / 390F. Peel and deseed pumpkin. Cut into chunks. Put into a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with thyme and olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
While baking the pumpkin, combine half of the parmesan cheese with light thickened cream. Mix in nutmeg.
When the pumpkin turns soft after baking for 30 minutes, carefully remove the baking dish from oven. Pour in the cheese and cream mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Put into oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and surface becomes lightly brown, bubbling arising. It’s done. Serve immediately.
Notes：
Fresh thyme is the best, but dried one can be used though. Nutmeg is a kind of spices, available at supermarkets. I also found nutmeg at Asian grocers with a better price.
