Roast pumpkin salad with lentils and honey-miso dressing

September 15, 2021 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

This big salad is perfect for spring dinners, picnics and barbecues

Ingredients
For the salad:
1 small (about 1kg) butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into wedges
Extra virgin olive oil
6-8 thyme sprigs
2 French shallots, finely sliced
1 heaped Tab honey
3/4 cup (150g) Puy lentils, rinsed
1 clove garlic, skin removed
1 cup chopped soft herbs (such as parsley, coriander, chives, dill)
Handful of microgreens, sprouts or baby rocket to serve
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For the honey-miso dressing:
1 heaped Tab mild miso
3 heaped tsp runny honey
1 clove garlic, grated
1cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp water
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 190˚C.

2. Place pumpkin onto large baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season and scatter with thyme sprigs. Roast for 15 minutes then remove from oven, turn pumpkin pieces over & drizzle with honey. Scatter the shallots over the pumpkin with another drizzle of oil. Return to oven, roast 15-20 mins more until pumpkin is tender. Remove from oven and season with sea salt.

3. Meanwhile, add the lentils & garlic clove to a large pot of salted water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes until lentils are just tender. Drain, and if garlic clove has not disintegrated, mash it up with the back of a fork and fold it through the lentils.
While still warm add the herbs, drizzle with a touch more oil, season & toss to combine.

4.  Place all dressing ingredients (except water) into a bowl & whisk to combine. If mixture is too thick, add 1-2 teaspoons of water to loosen it up. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

5.To serve, combine pumpkin, shallots & lentils. Drizzle over the miso-honey dressing and fold it through the vegetables to distribute evenly.

NOTE:  This can be made up to three hours ahead. When ready to eat, top with the microgreens, sprouts or baby rocket.

COCONUT AND GINGER EGGPLANT CURRY

July 8, 2017 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

This is a filling and fragrant curry filled with the flavours of coconut and ginger. The turmeric gives great colour and the lentils add some extra protein to this vegetarian curry.

Serves 4

Ingredients1 chili
2 tsp coriander seeds (or powder as it needs to be finely ground in the paste)
1 inch piece galangal roughly chopped
1 inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 stalk lemon grass, outer layer removed, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
3 coriander roots and stems washed and finely chopped (2-3 Tbs worth)
1 tsp rock salt
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 cup black urdul lentils, or just use puy if you cant find these
2 eggplant, chopped into a 3cm pieces
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 400 ml can coconut milk
400 ml stock
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
½ cup spring onion, plus extra for garnish
1 cup snow peas
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp soy sauce
½ cup coriander
¼ cup

Directions

1. In a mortar and pestle grind together the chilli, coriander seeds, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, coriander root and rock salt until you have a paste. Add the coconut oil and grind briefly until combined.

2. In a small pot bring the lentils and 2 cups of water to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Put a large heavy based fry pan on medium high heat, add the curry paste you have made and fry briefly until fragrant. Add eggplant and sir to coat in curry paste. Cook until the eggplant softens and starts to colour.

4. Add turmeric, coconut milk and stock along with extra grated ginger. Simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the lentils and add to the eggplant curry. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes until lentils and eggplant are cooked.

5. Add spring onion and snow peas and cook briefly for a minute or two. Season with lime juice and soy sauce. Taste and adjust as needed.

6. Serve with brown rice and scattered with the coriander and coconut flakes.