I’m in love with this dish.
♥
A sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of iron clad spinach. I suggest Crown prince pumpkins (the large gray Cinderella ones with shiny skin) because they have the best texture and deep autumnal flavor but butternut squash works well and will still taste great.
Recipe By Silvia Baldini—
A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
| Servings |
| 4/6 people |
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|
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Recipe By Silvia Baldini—
A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
|
Ingredients
PUMPKIN
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium pumpkin, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 6-8 wedges
SPINACH
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
- 1 tart apple (Granny Smith or similar), peeled, cored and diced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons runny honey
- 1 pound washed spinach sliced in ribbons
- 5 tablespoons double cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400F Put coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon and chilli with the salt into a mortar and pestle and crush until finely ground. Add the garlic and olive oil and pound to a paste. Rub this spice mix evenly all over the pumpkin wedges. Arrange in a single layer in a roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
- Make the spinach topping when the pumpkin is nearly done. Toast the pine nuts in a dry heavy frying pan over the low heat, shaking the pan once or twice, until nutty and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion and chilli and cook until soft and wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the apple and garlic ad cook until the apple starts to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, honey and two tablespoons of the pine nuts. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes, then pour in the cream and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange the roast pumpkin onto a serving platter, pour over the spinach sauce and sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and remaining pine nuts. Serve at once.
Recipe Notes
THINK AHEAD
You can bake the pumpkin a day ahead; reheat gently in a 300F oven, about 20 minutes. The spinach sauce is best made just before serving as it loses its bright green colour if you leave it sitting around but it takes only a few minutes if you have your pine nuts ready and toasted and your spinach chopped.
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This soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
Recipe By Silvia Baldini —
I'm big fan of eggplant and this soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4/6 people | 25 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 25 minutes |
|
|
|
|
Recipe By Silvia Baldini —
I'm big fan of eggplant and this soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
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Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 teaspoons grated gresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground coritander
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 pints vegetable stock
- 4 oz dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons Marsala or Sherry
- 2 tablespoons clear honey
- 1/2 medium fresh lemon juice
- 3 oz lightly toasted grounds almonds
Servings: people
Instructions
- Heat a grill pan to fairly high. Spread the eggplants out on a rack over the grill pan. Brush lightly with oil and season. Grill on both sides for about 12-20 minutes until golden. You can also use the oven broiler.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large lidded saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin seeds and turmeric. Cover and sweat for 10 minutes.
- Stir the grilled eggplants into the onion mixture with the stock, apricots, Marsala, honey and lemon juice. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the almonds and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly before puréeing until smooth. Check seasoning.
- Return to the rinsed out pan and re-heat slowly. Divide between warmed serving bowls and serve.
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