Roasted pumpkin with saffron quinoa salad

Try this delicious salad by twins and best friends Jesse and Jamie Friedberg. Serves 4.

Like what you see? Here are more recipes by Jesse and Jamie:
Amaranth porridge and orange-roasted apples
Nut and seed loaf with mung bean hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
• 1 pumpkin
• 400g Brussels sprouts
• ½ cup roasted almonds
• ½ cup roasted pistachios
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• Seeds of 2 pomegranates 
• 1 teaspoon saffron
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Handful of Italian parsley, roughly chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt 

Dressing:  

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of half an orange
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• A pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 250°C / 480 F. Cut the pumpkin into big chunks and place on an oven tray. Drizzle with olive oil, add a sprinkling of sea salt and cinnamon, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts. Add some olive oil to a saucepan and sauté for a few minutes – leave to cool. 

To cook the quinoa, combine it with the saffron and 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains uncurl and become translucent. Add the golden raisins while still warm and set aside.

For the dressing, simply whisk together all the ingredients.

To serve, combine all the salad ingredients (quinoa, Brussels sprouts, parsley, nuts and pomegranates) in a large bowl and spoon over the pumpkin wedges. Finish with a generous drizzle of dressing and a little extra parsley if you like.