Epic Low-Carb Wedges — a time to cook

Nov 11

Nov 11 Epic Low-Carb Wedges

Cooking, Cooking Tips, Food, Healthy Eating, Home Cooking

Super-nutritious, unbelievably tasty and incredibly easy to cook. Just slice, season and roast…

Before visiting my friend’s pumpkin farm I had absolutely no experience in cooking pumpkins. Here in the UK we only seem to use butternut squash (which I love) and pumpkins are reserved for Halloween when they are hollowed out, illuminated and thrown away.

On the farm, I was shown several types of pumpkins — Crown Princes, Acorns and Gems but it was the Kabocha that really caught my imagination. It had been sliced into chunks and roasted and had such an unbelievably potato-like texture that I couldn’t believe it contained so little carbohydrate.

“I was desperate to get one of those mottled, green beauties back to my kitchen and roast it for myself.”

At home I carefully sliced the Kabocha into wedges and tossed them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil before giving them a sprinkle of salt and oregano and arranging them in a roasting tray.

Now, these suckers cook quick so keep an eye on them. I slid them into the oven (pre-heated to 200C (390F)), roasted them skin side down for about 15 minutes and then a further 5–10 minutes on each side.

“Pumpkin is rich in Beta-Carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Potassium and Magnesium.”

I was completely dumbstruck by how utterly delicious these wedges looked when I took them out of the oven for the final time and simply could not wait to taste them. So, accompanied by some freshly made hummus, I took my wedges to the table. But they didn’t need hummus or anything else for that matter.

The smell of their flesh was sweet and nutty and reminded me of corn on the cob while the texture was soft and dense and utterly satisfying. We devoured the lot — we couldn’t stop ourselves and the hummus went back to the fridge — untouched.

200g of Kabocha delivers 6g of Carbohydrate (including 3g of fibre), 3g of Protein, 0g Fat and 32 Kcal (more if you’re roasting in oil). 200g of Potato on the other hand would be more like 43g of carbohydrate (including 3g of fibre), 4g of Protein, 0g Fat and 186 Kcal.
Source: Carb Manager App

If you’re craving carbs, try these — they are an incredible substitute for potatoes. You’ve just got to find the Kabocha.

My friends own and run Kilduff Farm in East Lothian, Scotland. Check out The Pumpkin Patch www.kilduff.co.uk.