If you’re looking for a low-calorie, low-carb vegetable that packs a substantial hunger-busting punch, it’s hard to beat pumpkin. A cup of pumpkin contains only 30 calories, no fat or cholesterol and only 8 grams of carbohydrates.
Pair it with salad and a piece of grilled salmon and you have a filling meal. I cooked up this recipe last night for dinner. Yum.
Recipe: Spice-rubbed salmon with roasted pumpkin salad
Salmon fillets
Spice & Co Australian BBQ Spice Mix (or any BBQ rub containing a sweet and smoky mix of spices, like smoked paprika, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg)
Olive oil
1/2 butternut pumpkin, cut into cubes
Crumbled feta
Rocket
Toasted pine nuts
Balsamic vinegar
Honey
Dijon mustard
Method: preheat oven to 200C. Toss pumpkin cubes in olive oil and arrange on baking paper on an oven tray. Bake for around 20 minutes until golden. Cool. Mix together one part balsamic, one part olive oil, one part honey and one part Dijon mustard, add salt and pepper to taste and shake in a jar to combine. Rub salmon fillets with spice mix. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-based pan. Cook salmon until medium-rare or to taste. Arrange rocket, pumpkin, pine nuts and feta on plates. Drizzle with dressing and serve with salmon fillets.

Pumpkin is one of my absolute FAVOURITE vegetables – I’ll be trying that one soon!