SPICED PUMPKIN & SWEET POTATO with CREAMY POLENTA

I have made this roast vegetable dish at least once a week for the past three weeks. As our little 40 plus year-old abode has no insulation whatsoever, I have spent the past few wintery weeks standing in the kitchen hovering near the warmth of the oven. I love winter as roasted spiced vegetables are one of my favourite things. Add in some hearty polenta and you have a substantial meal to warm your insides. Readers of this blog will know that ground coriander and cumin are some of my choice spices and I adore them with roasted vegetables, especially sweet potato. No need to add salt or cheese of any sort to the cooked polenta, as the flavour of the spiced vegetables is tasty enough. I do often like to add a sprinkle of ground black pepper to my polenta, as can be seem in the colour of the polenta above.

Ingredients

Spiced Pumpkin & Sweet Potato

• 800g pumpkin, skin & seeds removed and chopped into 2cm even pieces
• 800g sweet potato, peeled & chopped into 2cm even pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 heaped teaspoons ground coriander
• 3 heaped teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Creamy Polenta 

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock (gluten free and low salt)
• 1 cup water 
• 3/4 cup polenta 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to MAX (240-260 degrees celsius). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the chopped pumpkin & sweet potato with the garlic, coriander, cumin, oil and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper in a large bowl. Spoon the vegetables onto the prepared tray, trying to form a single layer of vegetables if you can. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin & sweet potato is very tender and golden. 

3. Meanwhile, make the polenta by bringing the stock and water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Spoon 1/4 cup of the polenta into the pan at a time, stirring constantly until the polenta has absorbed most of the water, then repeat with the additional two 1/4 cups. Add more water if needed. When all the polenta is cooked, remove from heat. 

4. Spoon 1/4 of the cooked polenta onto a plate and top with 1/4 of the roasted vegetables. Serve warm and enjoy. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10-15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25-30 minutes 

x Emily 

ROASTED BEETROOT & POTATO HERB SALAD with WASABI MAYO

This recipe is yet another product of inspiration from the Arthur street kitchen Community cookbook (as all my recipes this past week have been). I altered the original recipe ‘roasted beetroot with caramelized turnips, edamame beans and wasabi mayo’ in an attempt to turn it into more of a Russian salad. I remember eating oodles of beetroot and potato as a child and one bite of these ingredients takes me right back. The rosemary and thyme goes beautifully with the root vegetables and Chinese shallots and add additional layers of flavour. The wasabi mayo is an acquired, nose-clearing taste and may not be for everyone. I find that this roasted salad tastes delicious both with and without the mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 900g beetroot (4 large beetroots), peeled & cut into 2cm even pieces 
• 700g potatoes (sebago or low-carb kestrel potatoes), peeled & cut into 3cm even pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and the sprig discarded
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and the sprig discarded
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Japanese mayo
• juice of 1 large lime
• 1 tablespoon fine wine vinegar 
• 1/2-1 scant teaspoon wasabi paste
• 1 cup loosely packed Chinese shallots 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line 2 medium/large baking trays with baking paper. 

2. Toss the beetroot with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sea salt & pepper and half of the thyme, rosemary and garlic in a bowl, then place in a single layer on one of the prepared trays. Toss the potato with the same ingredients and place in a single layer on the other prepared tray. Place the beetroot tray at the top of the oven and the potato tray slightly lower. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until tender. (The potato may cook slightly faster than the beetroot, so check the trays regularly as you approach the 40 minute mark). 

3. Meanwhile, make the wasabi mayo by combining the Japanese mayo, lime juice, vinegar, wasabi paste and a pinch of sea salt in a small bowl and whisking well to combine. Word of warning: if you are not a big fan of wasabi add a tiny amount of wasabi paste at a time and taste test before adding more. If the mayo is too thick, add a few splashes of water or more lime juice. 

4. Combine the cooked beetroot & potato with the Chinese shallots in a medium serving bowl and toss to mix. Add a few small dollops of the wasabi mayo and stir well to combine, then enjoy! 

Serves / 4 as a side

Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45-50 minutes 

x Emily 

KIPFLER POTATOES WITH LEMON, ROSEMARY & SEA SALT

I have never cooked with kipfler potatoes before, thinking of them as the undersized relative to the larger & superior Sebago potato. A few weeks ago a good friend mentioned in passing about this delectable pizza that she had ordered one night out, whose toppings consisted of haloumi, rosemary and kipfler potatoes, among others. The delightful picture that she painted of these creamy potatoes encouraged me to try them. A little research at first revealed that these knobby-shaped yellow skinned spuds do not lend themselves to being fried, mashed or made into chips, due to their relatively low starch content. These little cigar or finger-shaped potatoes are exceptional in salads or boiled & steamed to be placed on pizza or focaccia, as they retain their shape very well when cooked.  Just to give you an idea, kipfler potatoes have a buttery nutty taste that is not overpowering. Often these Austria & Germany spuds only need a pat of butter or a pinch of sea salt due to their creamy flavour.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g small kipfler potatoes, washed, scrubbed & dried but not peeled
• 1 small lemon, cut in half
• 2 garlic cloves, skins left on
• 2 teaspoons dried or fresh rosemary
• pinch of sea salt
• coconut oil

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius (200 degrees celsius for a non fan-forced oven). Lightly grease a small roasting/baking pan/tin with coconut oil. 

2. Place potatoes in the pan/tin and the lemon halves on the edges. Scatter rosemary and salt on the potatoes. Place garlic cloves amongst the potatoes. Roast/bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender (to test this, you should be able to slide a knife or fork into the potato with minimal force). 

3. Remove potatoes from the pan and place in a serving bowl/plate. Scoop leftover rosemary & salt from the pan and sprinkle over the potatoes. Gently squeeze the roasted garlic from their skins (it should be soft now) and spread across the potatoes. Discard lemons or if you like a citrus taste, drizzle juice over the potatoes. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 as a side

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 33-38 minutes 

x E

PUMPKIN WEDGES WITH HERBS

Yet another vegetarian recipe adapted from the genius Yotam Ottolenghi from his cookbook ‘Plenty’. The crust on these wedges is similar to stuffing and is therefore quite versatile. Other vegetables such as sweet potato, parsnips, eggplant and regular potato can be used as a base instead of pumpkin. As Ottolenghi suggests, these wedges would work nicely as a vegetable course at Christmas time. Feel free to get creative and change the herbs and spices in the topping.

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin Wedges

• 600g pumpkin, sliced into 1cm thin slices (with skin left on)
• 40g gluten-free breadcrumbs (one can easily make by placing 2 slices of GF bread in a blender or food processor for 15-20 seconds)
• 25g sheep's pecorino cheese, finely grated (or if not dairy intolerant use finely grated parmesan cheese)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 
• coconut oil 

Dipping Sauce (if dairy-intolerant omit dipping sauce)

• 100g extra light sour cream
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Lay the pumpkin slices down on the tray, trying not to overlap them. Brush the pumpkin lightly with coconut oil. 

2. To make the crust/topping, place breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, chilli flakes and cheese in a medium bowl, mixing well to combine. Sprinkle the pumpkin slices with this mixture, making sure each slice is covered. Pat the crust down gently. 

3. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes or until pumpkin is tender but not mushy. If you find that the crust becomes quite dark during the roasting, gently place foil over the pumpkin. 

4. To make dipping sauce, combine the garlic and the parsley in a mortar & pestle and crush to combine. Add the sour cream, lime juice and a pinch of sea salt and combine well. Serve alongside the wedges. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30-35 minutes 

x E