I was at a party last Saturday, long dresses and black tie. I love parties with an elegant theme and the location was phenomenal! Over the heads of the other guests I spotted a friend who kept eye contact and then he started moving towards us. With a big smile on his face he said: Guess what makes our dinners lately so special?
I said I had no idea, then he said: Your recipes on your blog!
That made my day and I felt really lifted up. The rest of the evening was a ball! Yup!
Thanks Michi! Any time, so this is for you! Another healthy and tasty recipe I made inspired by Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook!
The quantity you see on the photos is triple the amount this recipe is written for. I made this for a potluck lunch and It was almost all gone immediately!
YOU NEED:
1 large squash ( 1.1 kg), cut into 2 by 6 cm wedges
2 red onions, cut into wedges
3 1/2 tablespoons / 50 mL olive oil
3 1/2 tablespoons, light tahini paste
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 small clove garlic, crushed
3 1/2 tablespoons / 30 g roasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon za’atar
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Greek Yoghurt with 1 Tbsp olive oil and a dash of lemon juice for decoration
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 240°C/475 F.
Peeling pumpkins of any kind can be very dangerous. Please be extra careful, the best is to cut the wedges and leave the peel on, it is much easier once the vegetable is cooked and cooled off a bit! Some pumpkin peel is only cellulose and cannot be eaten at all, others have a very fine taste and should not be peeled.
Put the squash and onions in a large mixing bowl, add 3 tablespoons of the oil, 2 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper and toss well. Spread on a baking sheet with the skin facing up and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions as they might cook faster than the squash, best is to add them after half time. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
To make the sauce, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary.
Pour the pine nuts into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. I never use oil to roast the nuts, their natural oil develops great flavor when roasted. Stir occasionally until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts to a small bowl to stop the cooking.
To serve, spread the vegetables mixed with the tahini dressing out on a large serving platter. Sprinkle the pine nuts, followed by the za’atar and parsley over the vegetables and serve drizzled with the yoghurt cream cold.
The following day, if you have a left over, you can reheat the salad and have a warm healthy lunch.
