Roasted Pumpkin Bites

- Carla -'s Note:

I was introduced to these at a party and was pleasently surprised at how good they were - a nice mixture of sweet pumpkin, tangy Balsamic and hot chili powder. This recipe comes out of a local supermarket magazine here in Holland. I think it's a perfect appetizer for Halloween or Thanksgiving

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 ½ lbs fresh pumpkin , peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tablespoon herbes de provence
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons good quality olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Spray an oven proof baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (or you can butter the baking dish if you prefer).
3. In a bowl, mix the garlic, Herbs de Provence, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, Balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
4. Add the pumpkin and toss well to coat.
5. Set pumpkin in the bakng dish.
6. Place baking dish in the center of a pre-warmed oven 20-25 minutes; after 10 minutes coat the pumpkin with any additional coating left in the bowl.
7. Once roasted, pierce with toothpicks or cocktail prikkers and serve.

Reviews

[Bokenpop aka Madeleine]

This is superb! I have made this recipe several times and it just gets better and better every time I make it. We usually eat these bites as vegetable side to a roast rather than an appetizer and I get nothing but compliments from the family. Thank you, Carla, for a wonderful recipe.

[Aunt Cookie]

Very tasty and easy to make. I made this with a mix of butternut and acorn squash, rather than pumpkin, and it turned out very well. The only changes I would make next time are 1) I would use a little less oil, as it was slightly greasy, and 2) I will cut the squash pieces bigger than a 1/2 inch. Thanks for posting this; it's a great autumn recipe!

[CarsonM]

Very flavorful, and an interesting combination of spices. These pumpkin bites are garlicky enough that I wouldn't be able to eat a lot in one sitting, but as an autumnal party dish, they're super. I wasn't exactly sure what kind of "chili powder" to use (powder *for* chili, or powder *from* chiles?) so I skipped the cayenne and used half ancho chile powder and half chili powder (for making chili :) ). To my relief, it turned out!