Moreish Mushies with Smashed Pumpkin

Mushrooms are a favorite of mine – they’re full of flavor, but they also pack a serious nutritional punch when it comes to good bacteria to promote gut health. Any recipe that is good for you while also being seriously delicious is a win-win.

Ingredients

for the mushies:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large portobello mushrooms (about 150 g each), stems trimmed, cleaned
• lemon wedges, to serve

for the smashed pumpkin:

• 700 g butternut pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped sea salt
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut cream 2 tablespoons hulled tahini 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon chili powder
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Start with the smashed pumpkin. Place the pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of salt, and about 3 tablespoons of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes, until very soft. (Add a little more water if the pumpkin becomes dry.)
2. Transfer the pumpkin to a large bowl and allow to cool. Roughly mash, then stir through the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
3. Preheat the barbecue grill to medium-hot.
4. Place the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over the mushrooms, using your hands to gently coat them all over with the oil. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
5. Shake off any excess oil from the mushrooms, place on the grill, and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through, or until beautifully charred on the outside. Transfer to a wooden board and cut each into thirds.
6. To serve, spread the smashed pumpkin onto plates, then top with the mushrooms and a few extra sprigs of thyme. Season well with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Recipe from Barbecue This! by Luke Hines, Published by Plum, RRP $39.99, Photography by Mark Roper

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