The pumpkin salad is super simple but that makes it so wonderful. You don't need to make a big fuss to have amazing food on your plates and it bakes in the oven while you prepare everything else.
YIELDS
4 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 250g shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp truffle oil
- 500g frozen green peas
- 200g frozen chopped carrots
- 20g sage
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 flax eggs or other egg substitute
- 100g GF flour
- 150g GF bread crumbs
- to taste salt, pepper
- oil for frying
- 1.5 kg pumpkin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 90ml olive oil
- 200g vegan yogurt
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- to taste salt, pepper
- 2 tsp Provencal herb mix
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 kg baby potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp truffle oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 large yellow bell pepper
- 1 tsp dried coriander
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- to taste salt, pepper
Directions
For the pumpkin salad:
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Wash and rinse the pumpkin. Chop up the pumpkin and make 2 cm wide and about 7 cm long slices.Transfer to a larger bowl and season with olive oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Combine well.
3. Transfer them on a baking tray and bake them until soft, about 30–40mins. Once done set aside to cool.
4. For the dressing mix together the provencal herb mix, garlic, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Blend it for a few seconds. Set aside.
For the pea croquettes:
1. Heat up the truffle oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots and sauté for about 15–20 mins, while frequently stirring. Add white wine vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
2. Defrost the peas and carrots and add it to a blender along with the garlic,and sage. Pulse it for a few seconds until it is finely chopped but don’t turn it into a puree. It has to be more like a rough mash.
3. Transfer the blend into a bowl and add onions, 1 flax egg, salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Prepare a tray that fits in your freezer and line it with parchment paper. Use a spoon to portion out the pea-carrot mash and form little croquettes or patties with your hands. Place it on the tray and when you’re done forming all croquettes transfer them into the freezer for a couple of hours to set.
5. Place flour in one bowl or deeper plate, 3 flax eggs in another and breadcrumbs in a 3rd one. Remove croquettes from the freezer and one by one roll them in the flour, then in the flax egg and finally coat them with breadcrumbs. Repeat with all croquettes.
6. Heat up oil in a frying pan and fill the hot oil with croquettes, fry them until golden on each side. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Once done transfer them on a paper towel to remove access oil.
7. They are great as this but if you’d like extra crisp you can bake them in the oven for 5 more minutes on 200°C or in an air fryer.
For the batata harra:
1. Keep the oven going on 220°C.
2. Boil salted water in a big pot. Add potatoes and boil them for about 3–5 minutes. Remove from water and set aside to dry off.
3. Transfer them to a baking tray, if you like you can cut them in half or keep in one piece. Pour the two types of oil over them (olive + truffle), season with salt, pepper and coriander. Mix well so they are all evenly coated. Bake it in the oven for 10 minutes. Then add garlic and sliced bell pepper and bake for another 20–25 minutes. Around half time turn them around. Once done, remove potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with lemon juice and zest.
4. Serve hot with croquettes and pumpkin. For the dressing you can pour vegan yogurt and the Provencal salad dressing.
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Photo: Imola Toth
