Pumpkin with sage

Here is another easy recipe for you. It can be for any meal, and even to pack into your lunch box. Roasted pumpkin is great but this is much faster.

1. Cut a small pumpkin in half, and scoop out the seeds. Rinse with water. 

2. Wrap with damp kitchen paper, microwave for 3 minutes.

3. While it is cooking, put a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan.

4. Add fresh chopped sage and thyme to the oil. (Dry herbs are ok.)

5. Heat the oil gently until the herbs are fragrant.

6. Cut the pumpkin into 1.5cm wedges. Add to the pan.

7. Cook the pumpkin until it is golden on both sides. Remove from the pan.

8. If you would like to cook meat, such as chicken or pork, add it to the herb oil.

NOTES:

1. It is easy to microwave pumpkin a little before you cut it, so it is a little softer. It will also cook faster. Japanese people eat the skin, which has a lot of fiber and tastes okay. If you prefer, after microwaving you can easily peel the pumpkin.

3. I always use my non-toxic pan from Cuisinart, but you can use another pan or even grill.

4. Sage is great with pumpkin! Fresh herbs are really easy to grow in a pot. Sage is a bigger bush so you can plant thyme around it in the one pot. They won't die in winter if you keep them out of the frost. If you don't have fresh herbs, buy some bunches from the supermarket. Wash and dry them, and put small amounts into very small ziplock bags from the 100yen shop, then put them in the freezer. 1 bag = for one time

7. The pumpkin will stay warm for a while, or you can keep it under a fish grill set to low, or in a toaster oven.

8. Thinly sliced pork cooked in the pan is nice with the pumpkin.