Roasted pumpkin with lentils, lime and fresh herbs.

A piece of pumpkin can be the starting point for dinner.

Roast it until tender, add cooked lentils, then finish with lime and fresh herbs. The ingredients are ordinary enough to keep the meal repeatable.

There is no need to find a small squash that can hold a filling. Pumpkin wedges on a tray will do.

Recipe draft: serves 2 as part of a meal. Total time estimate: 40–50 minutes. Quantities, timing and serving yield have not yet been kitchen-tested.

What you need

• 600 g pumpkin flesh, after removing skin and seeds, cut into roughly 2 cm pieces
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 can cooked lentils, about 400 g before draining; drain and rinse
• 1–2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus extra to taste
• A small handful of chopped coriander or flat-leaf parsley
• Black pepper, to taste
• Freshly cooked rice or bread, to serve if wanted

Put it together

1. Heat the oven to 200°C conventional. Wash the pumpkin before cutting, then prepare the flesh. Use a stable board; pre-cut pumpkin is a useful option if cutting a whole one is difficult.
2. Toss pumpkin and onion with the oil, cumin and salt. Spread on a lined baking tray with a little space between the pieces.
3. Roast, turning once, until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork and lightly browned at the edges. Begin checking at 25 minutes; allow longer if needed.
4. Near serving time, warm the drained lentils in a small pan with the water, following their label instructions. Stir to prevent sticking.
5. Divide the vegetables and hot lentils between plates. Add lime juice, herbs and pepper. Taste before adding more seasoning, then serve straight away.

Let the plate suit the meal

Add rice or bread if you want it, or serve this alongside other dishes. Lentils contribute protein and fibre, but the amount you need to eat depends on the rest of the meal and your appetite.

Pumpkins vary. Some turn soft quickly; others need longer in the oven. Let tenderness guide you rather than treating the timer as a guarantee.

Nutrition totals have not been calculated.

Allergen note: check packaged ingredients and any bread or sauce served alongside.

The small takeaway: keep a vegetable you enjoy at the centre of the cooking, and give the rest of the plate something useful to do.

Reading behind this piece

• Health Canada: eat a variety of healthy foods
• FDA: preparing fresh produce safely

Topic inspiration: Your Thanksgiving Table Needs These Vegan Winter Squash Cups, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, 19 November 2016. Full archived source read; fresh wording and recipe concepts developed for Everyday.