Flat Belly Breakfast Pumpkin Roast

Happy new year 2022 Foodscapaders!

Another new year, another great opportunity to make a difference. Life is a wonderful thing, and we must be grateful for the opportunity to be alive and to live (they are not the same thing:-)). I wish you all a wonderful year ahead and may what were once just dreams, turn into your very real reality!

Today’s recipe is here to support a goal that many, if not all of us, start the new year with – weight loss. Or at the very least, cultivating a healthy lifestyle. After all the delicious, rich, waistline expanding foods of the festive season, most gyms get an influx of new customers at the begining of the year. Sadly, this often tapers off as the weeks and months pass by especially if results are slow in showing. As they say, getting a flat belly starts in the kitchen, not the gym.

This breakfast pumpkin roast recipe combines the wonderful benefits the common pumpkin., a much ignored yet nutritious vegetable which is widely available from most local markets. Don’t let its humble look fool you- pumpkin is full of fibre which helps ease digestion, stabilizes blood sugars and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. This helps to stave off sugar craving that often derail even the best laid plans for a healthy diet. When combined with garlic powder and thyme, the simple pumpkin transforms into a delicious, flavour filled savoury dish that’s a great alternative for a sugar and wheat free breakfast.

Try this , combined with a consistent exercise regime, and thank me later ;-).

Flat Belly Breakfast Pumpkin Roast

Recipe by Muthoni KamauCourse: BreakfastCuisine: Vegeterian, VeganDifficulty: Easy, Beginner friendly

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total Time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 whole pumpkin or butternut squash.

• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste

• Pinch of dry thyme

• EQUIPMENT

• 2 Bowls – 1 large , 1 small

• Small knife

• Flat baking tray

• Aluminium Foil

• Oven

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
• Wash the pumpkin with clean water.
• Split the pumpkin into half, then cut the halves into quarters and then smaller slices ,depending on the size of the pumpkin.
• Remove the seeds and set aside. With the knife, remove the fibrous centre of the pumpkin and peel off the hard skin from the slices.
• Once all the slices are peeled, cut them into smaller chunks, about 1 inch wide and place all the chunks into a medium sized bowl.
• In a separate small bowl, mix the vegetable oil, black pepper, garlic powder and salt. Drizzle this mixture over the pumpkin chunks and toss to ensure all the chunks are well coated.
• Line the baking tray with aluminium foil and spread out the pumpkin chunks flat on the tray. Sprinkle the thyme over the pumpkin chunks. Place the tray into the pre heated oven and let roast for 15-20 minutes or until the chunks start to turn golden brown on the edges.
• Remove from oven and serve warm with fresh avocado slices. Enjoy!