Kabocha Gratin - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely sliced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk (skim is fine, the dish will be less rich)
2 chicken stock cubes, crushed (vegetable stock cubes are also fine)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 large Japanese pumpkin, remove skin and seeds and slice into bite sized chunks
1 cup broccoli, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Place chopped pumpkin in a microwave safe-dish and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Melt butter in a large pan, add onions and cook over medium heat until transparent.
Add flour and mix for 15 seconds, slowly add milk, crushed stock cubes and black pepper and cook over medium for 4 minutes.
Add Japanese pumpkin (kabocha) and stir for five minutes. If desired, add chopped broccoli at this time.
Pour into a glass casserole dish or gratin dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and pumpkin is soft.
Serve warm with a light salad--this is a very rich dish!