Butternut and potato cakes

Tags

brunch, butternut, cakes, cumin, fritters, lunch, middle eastern, pancakes, potato, potimarron, vegetarian, za'atar

If you only try one new recipe this month, do try this one. These healthy vegetable pancakes are excellent for breakfast or brunch topped with a poached egg, served as a light lunch with a side salad or even as a tasty side dish to accompany meat for dinner. There is no need to shred or grate the veggies, you simply boil them as if you were making a mash – cannot be easier and less washing up too. Feel free to add some corn, cooked cauliflower or even broccoli to the mix if you wish. I have spiced them up a bit and given them a bit of a middle eastern flavour by adding the cumin and the za’atar and the taste is pure heaven. They are also not deep fried like fritters but lightly sautéed more like a pancake, so healthier for you too. So, what are you waiting for…. Get cooking.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
500 g / 1 lb butternut or potimarron, peeled and cut into large cubes
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon za’atar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, whisked
3 tablespoons oil
to serve
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Handful of rocket or mâche leaves

Preparation:

Place the butternut and potatoes in a saucepan with water and cook until soft
Drain and return to the heat to dry them out for about 20 seconds
Mash with a potato ricer or a masher, set aside
In a sauté pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onions
Cook until soft and lightly brown
Add the onions to the butternut and potato mixture
Add the cumin, za’atar, salt and pepper
Add the egg and mix well to combine, the mixture will be soft but not runny
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan
Spoon heaps of the mixture into the pan and press gently to flatten a bit
After about 2 minutes, flip the cakes carefully (they are fairly soft)
Cook until golden brown
Keep warm until all the mixture has been cooked
Place one cake on a plate and top with a spoonful of crème fraîche, add another cake and another spoonful of cream
Sprinkle with the cilantro and the salad leaves
Enjoy!

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Autumn Vegetable and Red Wine Braise

Tags

butternut, carrots, chestnuts, parsnips, potimarron, red wine, vegetables

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
150 g / 5 oz bacon, cut into pieces or lardons
1 medium potimarron / pumpkin / butternut, peeled and cut into cubes ( about 500 g / 1 lb)
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 celery stalk, cut into pieces
20 cooked chestnuts
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
120 ml / 1/2 cup red wine
80 ml / 1/3 cup beef or veal stock
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped for garnish
Fresh chives, chopped

Preparation:

In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat
Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes
Add the lardons and cook another 4 minutes
Add the butternut, carrots, parsnip, celery, chestnuts and garlic
Add salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring
Add the wine and stock and cook for a few minutes
Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender
Stir in the butter, parsley and chives
Enjoy!

Butternut Soup

Tags

butternut, chestnuts, entree, potimarron, Soup, starters

I love this recipe. It is easy, delicious and can both be a soup for lunch or a fancy dinner party starter. I made it for my Thanksgiving meal and have done variations of it for the last few years. I served it to my neighbors a few weeks ago with a bit extra curry and cream, I added about 2 cups of cream to the pot before pureeing it. It was unctuous and creamy and almost a meal in itself. You might want to serve small portions if you add the large quantity of cream or risk your guests not eating much else for dinner. If you do not have potimarron or kuri squash, then use just butternut. I would then use 1 large or two smaller ones. Potimarron or kuri squash, as it is sometimes called, is a delicious squash that tastes like a mix of butternut and chestnuts. I serve this soup in a shallow soup plate with a circle of cream in the center and a small spoonful of chopped chestnuts on top on the cream. To make it even more special, sauté some cooked chestnuts in a little butter, season with salt and pepper and chopped fresh thyme or sage, and spoon a little over the crème fraîche. This soup can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days or frozen for about 2 months. Reheat gently before serving.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 butternut, peeled and cut into cubes
1 potimarron, peeled and cut into cubes
2 leeks, white parts only, sliced thinly
About 20 chestnuts (optional), cooked
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups chicken bouillon, preferably homemade
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of curry (optional)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Heavy cream

Preparation:

In a large dutch oven, melt the butter
Add the leeks and sauté for  4 minutes, until softened but not colored
Add the butternut, potimarron and 15 chestnuts
Stir and sauté for about one minute
Add the ginger, nutmeg, cumin and curry (if using)
Pour in the bouillon and bring to the boil
Cover and simmer until all the veggies are soft, 20 minutes
Season to taste
With an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the soup until smooth
Warm the cream slightly, in the microwave is fine, for 20 seconds
Ladle the soup into plates or bowls
Pour some cream into each plate as artistically as you wish for decoration
Chop up the remaining chestnuts and sprinkle in the center of each serving
Enjoy!