With fall upon us, you'll be offered a lot of delicious dishes that use pumpkin. But it's important to know the right pumpkin to use before you try these dishes in your own kitchen.

Halloween or Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins are perfect for carving, but not for eating. Look for the smaller, baking variety; “pie” or “sugar” pumpkins that have hard, thick skins but sweet flesh inside. To save time, substitute precut pumpkin or butternut squash as an alternate.

Serves: 5; Prep: 20 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes.

Ingredients

5-pound sugar pumpkin (like baby pam, New England pie pumpkin or butternut squash)
2 tablespoons olive/canola oil (in mister bottle)
1 tablespoon McCormick salt free seasoning blend
7-1/2 cups arugula
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons hulled pumpkin seeds
5 tablespoons lemon thyme vinaigrette

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Split the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.  Cut each section in half and then use a peeler to take off the skin. Cut each of the quarters into 1 inch-across strips. Lay the pumpkin strips in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray with oil and sprinkle with McCormick salt free blend. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

2. In a large bowl toss 1 cup of the cooked pumpkin slices, 1.5 tablespoons feta crumbles, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin seeds, 1 .5 cups of fresh baby arugula and 1 tablespoon of vinaigrette.

Nutrition Information (one serving): Calories 304, Protein 8 grams,  Total Fat 23 grams, Saturated Fat 6 grams, Carbs 19 grams, Dietary Fiber 2 grams, Cholesterol 25 milligrams, Sodium 296mg

Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1-1/4 teaspoons honey
1-1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive/canola oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

1. Combine the lemon juice, balsamic, honey, Dijon, salt and pepper in the blender.

2. Blend on medium speed and slowly drizzle in oil to emulsify. Finish with fresh thyme.

Nutrition Information (1 ounce): Calories 169, Protein 0 grams, Total Fat 18 grams, Saturated Fat 2.5 grams, Carbs 1.8 grams, Dietary Fiber 0 grams, Cholesterol 0 milligrams, Sodium 51 milligrams

Recipes Courtesy of Morrison Healthcare