Healthy roasted cabbage and pumpkin salad

Serves: 4
Time: 45 minutes (20min Prep + 25min Cook)

SALAD INGREDIENTS

  • 1 mini red cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
  •  600g Kent pumpkin, cut into chunks
  •  2 red capsicum, cut into thick strips
  •  8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  •  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  •  100g baby spinach
  •  80g Persian feta, crumbled
  •  1/3 cup (35g) chopped walnuts, toasted
  •  White sourdough bread, sliced, to serve

DRESSING

  •  2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  •  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or Emu Tracks pure emu oil (YES! tray using EMU OIL in your salad dressing for an extra boost of nutrition!)
  •  2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  •  2 teaspoons honey

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 220C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Divide cabbage, pumpkin, capsicum and garlic among trays and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, to make the caraway dressing, whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place spinach on a large serving platter, top with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with feta and walnut. Drizzle with dressing and serve with sourdough.

NUTRITION FACTS

Red cabbage:
  • One cup of chopped red cabbage has 28 calories, 1 gram of fat and 1 gram of protein. You’ll get 2 grams of dietary fiber, which is 5 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 8 percent for women. Insoluble fiber from red cabbage prevents constipation, lowers the risk of developing diverticular disease and helps relieve the symptoms of some gastrointestinal conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome
  • One cup of chopped red cabbage has 56 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C
  • One cup of red cabbage contains 33 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A
  • You’ll gain 28 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin K from one cup of chopped red cabbage
  • Red cabbage belongs to the cruciferous, or Brassica, family that includes broccoli, turnips and Brussels sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables are the only source of sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates that are responsible for their bitter flavor. Glucosinolates are digested into isothiocyanates that reduce inflammation and fight bacteria. The red pigment comes from a flavonoid, cyanidin, that functions as an antioxidant. Both cyanidin and the isothiocyanates prevent some types of cancer by stopping the growth of cancer cells, inhibiting enzymes that activate carcinogens and helping cells repair damage caused by carcinogens
Pumpkin:
  • One cup of pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, and without salt, contains 49 calories, 1.76 grams of protein, 0.17 grams of fat and 12 grams of carbohydrate (including 2.7 grams of fiber and 5.1 grams of sugar)
  • Consuming one cup of cooked, canned pumpkin would provide well over 100 percent of our daily needs for vitamin A, 20 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, 10 percent or more for vitamin E, riboflavin, potassium, copper, and manganese, and at least 5 percent for thiamin, B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus
  • The potassium contained within pumpkins can have a positive effect on blood pressure
  • The antioxidants and vitamins contained within pumpkins could prevent degenerative damage to the eyes
  • Pumpkin is one of the best-known sources of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that gives orange vegetables and fruits their vibrant color. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body once it is eaten. Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, offer protection against asthma and heart disease, and delay aging and body degeneration.