Ready for a Festive Fall side-dish for your dinner!? This one is so tasty, bringing together flavors of autumn with a sweet roasted pumpkin and cinnamon apples! Roasted using coconut oil and adding cinnamon coconut flakes at the end gives it the perfect tasty touch! And of course, it’s nutritiously healthy!

On what very well could have been the peak fall foliage day, I took a drive to my favorite farmer’s market and farm stand, Blooming Hill Farm, to pick up some autumn vegetables.

They had a bunch of apples along with a bunch of pumpkins! I didn’t know exactly which pumpkin I wanted, but I had an idea to prepare a sweet side-dish.

I chose a Red Kuri pumpkin you see on the left, and a Kabocha Pumpkin you see on the right.

Since it is a squash, I wanted to show you the great health benefits!

For this recipe, we’re going with the Kabocha! Packed with vitamins and minerals, it brings some yummy health benefits to the fall table! Often Kabocha is seen as a green pumpkin with the inside flesh orange just as you’d expect with any pumpkin. The one I picked up is a red kabocha and is usually a bit sweeter than the green. The inside flesh is indicative of the high amounts beta-carotene the pumpkin packs! Our bodies convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is essential for our immunity, eye, skin and cell health. Also a good source of vitamin C and fiber and as with any squash, it’s an easy to digest vegetable! It is low in carbs and is low on the glycemic index, which is key for people looking to keep their blood sugar in check. The skin is edible as well, just as with zucchini or yellow squash! Extra fiber in the skin too!

Let’s begin! Cut the Kabocha in half and then scoop out the seeds.

Cut in sections just as you would cantaloupe!

Place in bowl and pour melted coconut oil over to coat.

Place on foil-lined sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of ginger.

Separately slice apples and coat with a bit of melted coconut oil and cinnamon. A touch of maple syrup or butter here is ok.

Line on parchment paper on baking sheet, then bake for about 30 mintues.

When the kabocha ready, cut from skin and place in serving dish. It should cut through very easily.

Add apples to pumpkin and if you would like, you can add toasted cinnamon coconut ! Take a cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, add to bowl with remnants of coconut oil. Add cinnamon to coat, adding generously.

Line on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake for only about 10 minutes or even less, they will burn quickly!

Sprinkle on top pumpkin and apples and there you have a super nutritious autumn side-dish! It’s a sweet one, but not overly sweet and goes well with lean meat, vegetables and tart dishes too!