Pumpkin Orzo with Walnuts Recipe from: Jayme McKillop, Vernon

Makes about 4 servings.

1/2 sugar pie pumpkin, roasted and diced (or any soft squash will work; this recipe is an excellent use for leftover roasted squash)

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup chopped kale
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup red onion diced
1/2 cup of chickpeas
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp of white wine vinegar
Fresh ground pepper & sea salt to taste

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, raw or roasted
1 cup lightly toasted walnuts whole
1 cup feta cheese, cubed or in large crumbles
1 small jar of marinated artichokes, chopped (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350°c. Cut your squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and roast cut side down on a baking tray until it’s soft when pierced with a fork.

To cook your pasta, season the water with salt and cook according to your personal pasta rules. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and saute the garlic, kale, carrot, cabbage, onion and chickpeas until cooked but not mushy. Then, sprinkle on the chilli powder, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and mix again. Mix in the cooked pasta and chopped squash while your pan is still on the hot stove. Lastly, mix in the feta, sunflower seeds, and walnuts, and serve.

Cold pasta salad option: Instead of sauteing the vegetables, you can add raw veggies to the cooked pasta while it’s still hot after cooking and draining it. Then, once it’s cooled and just before serving, mix in the remaining ingredients.

• Walnuts – Raw, Halves & Pieces – ORGANIC
• Walnuts – Raw, Halves & Pieces
• Chickpeas – ORGANIC
• Sunflower Seeds – Raw, Shelled
• Sunflower Seeds – Raw, Shelled – ORGANIC
• Sunflower Seeds – Roasted, Salted, Shelled