Ingredients

Salad

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 1 piece (300g) lamb backstrap
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 red onions, quartered
• 1 punnet grape tomatoes, halved
• 100g low-fat feta cheese, cubed
• 2 cups (150g) baby rocket

Dressing

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp honey

Lamb, pumpkin and chickpea salad

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a large bowl, place the 3 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper with the cubed pumpkin and lamb backstrap. Toss all to coat in oil and lay the pumpkin on the baking tray.

Bake pumpkin for 20 minutes.

While the pumpkin is roasting, panfry the lamb backstrap for 2-3 mins each side and place on a plate to rest until the pumpkin is ready.

In a serving dish, toss together the chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, feta and rocket.

In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients.

Slice the lamb.

Leave the pumpkin to cool for a few minutes after removing from the oven. Toss with the rest of the salad ingredients.

Drizzle with salad dressing and top with sliced lamb.

Notes

• The lamb should be just a little pink in the centre.
• You can cook the pumpkin ahead of time and just top this salad with warm lamb.
• I make a triple batch of this salad dressing and have it on hand all the time.
• This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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• Parsley potatoes
• Lamb, barley, feta and lemon salad
• Slow cooker meatballs