Crunchy Pumpkin Appetizers With Creamy Dipping Sauce

There are mainly 2 words in my husband’s culinary vocabulary: moist and crunchy. He’ll eat pretty much anything, as long as it’s not dry or soggy. And even though he’s an extremely picky and detail-oriented person in general, when it comes to food, that's pretty much all he needs.

So I’ve realized by now that there is absolutely no need for me to drive myself crazy in the kitchen in order to make him happy. Basically, all I have to do is wrap something in some kind of wrapper (crunchy), fry it, or bake it and make a sauce for it (moist). Easy enough!

Like last night for example. I made him our Middle Eastern Style Grilled Cheese, and made it extra crunchy. He was in heaven.

When Ruth and I came up with these appetizers, I served them for dinner and they were a total hit. Between Lee and the kids, they were gone within minutes. The whole thing!

I'm not surprised though. They really are delicious. Slightly sweet and spicy, easy to eat... And, of course, crunchy.

Just make sure to brush the wrappers well with oil. That way you'll get the crunch without having to fry them!

And the sauce is also key. The acidity of the vinegar, lime, and mustard balances the sweetness of the pumpkin perfectly and the creaminess of the greek yogurt and the freshness of the herbs make it cooling and satisfying.

Hope you enjoy it!

Have a great week,

Vicky

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 8-10 minutes plus 8-10 minutes for baking per batch
• Ingredients (makes about 36 triangles):

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1-15oz can pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp hot paprika (or cayenne pepper if you want the extra kick)
• 9 spring roll wrappers
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Dipping sauce (makes 2 ¼ cups)

• 1 ½ cups plain fat free greek yogurt (we use Chobani)
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• ¾ cup chopped parsley
• 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp honey mustard
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

1. Combine cilantro, parsley, lime juice, olive oil and both mustards in a blender and blend until smooth
2. In a large bowl, season greek yogurt with salt and pepper. Add herb mixture and mix well until all the ingredients are well combined.

To make the Pumpkin Triangles:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large skillet, sautee the diced onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil at medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 2 minutes
3. Add pumpkin puree and spices, stir well so all the ingredients are well incorporated and cook for 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. In the meantime, cut each wrapper in 4 even squares. Brush each one on both sides with oil. Place about a teaspoon of pumpkin filling in the center and fold the corner diagonally to meet the opposite corner and form a triangle. Pinch the edges together (don’t worry if they’re not completely sealed) and gently press the filling towards the edges so it’s evenly spread on the triangle.

5. Arrange the triangles on the baking sheet and bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown (and crunchy!). Tip: These are best eaten fresh right out of the oven!

6. Serve with yogurt dipping sauce.

ENJOY!! From May I have that recipe

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