Roasted Broccoli with Tahini Sauce over Curried Squash

Somewhere amidst traveling, working full time, running, yoga and happy hour, I’ve lost the desire to stand in the kitchen for hours to impress…myself. I used to concoct these complicated displays with a bagillion ingredients, always making homemade seitan or soysage, whipping up my own Worcestershire sauce, etc. Has reality finally sunk in? Do I really have no time or energy to cook? No, it’s not quite that extreme. But I am understanding better and better the people who tell me they just don’t have the time or the know-how to do what I do.

Well neither do I right now. Ok, ok, I have the know-how. But that’s why I write this little ditty. For you. To impart how easy it is to truly concoct something incredible with just a few things on hand in about a half hour that will appeal to any veg hater out there. This is a beautifully simple dish.  If you look at the 3 components separately, nothing requires more than 5 ingredients.  Do the math people! Sorry, I’ve been watching a lot of Numbers on Netflix. But seriously, you absolutely have time for this.

This recipe is based on one I found on Vegetarian Times. I adjusted the Tahini Sauce to my taste and deviated quite a bit from the bulgur nonsense. I like my version, and so did my token omnivore, which (as you know) is always the final test to determine the final fate of my crazy kitchen madness. “Mmmmmm”s all around. If you need a little protein boost, this would go great with falafel or just some mashed chickpeas mixed right into that squash. Ok it’s go time - start preheating that oven (toaster oven will do for those of you who live in stupidly extreme climates like me).

Roasted Broccoli with Tahini Sauce over Curried Squash
Makes: 2-4 servings
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Broccoli

1 broccoli crown/stalk, cut into small flowerets (about 3 cups)

1/2 - 1 T. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Squash

1 small acorn squash, halved and seeded

1 T. veggie broth

1 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

1 T. dried currants

Salt to taste

For the Tahini Sauce

1 T. tahini

1 T. lemon juice (about 1 whole small lemon)

1 small garlic clove, finely minced

1 T. veggie broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F.

In a medium bowl, drizzle broccoli with olive oil and coat generously with salt and pepper. Spread evenly over a foil lined pan and roast until browned and crispy around edges, about 25 minutes. Remove and set aside.

While the broccoli is cooking, place the squash flesh side down in a microwave safe dish about 2-3 inches in depth. Fill dish up to 1 inch with water and cover. Microwave on high for 7-10 minutes or until completely tender. Remove from pan and set aside until cool enough to handle. Scoop/scrape flesh from the peel into a mixing bowl. Add broth and mash the sqaush with curry powder and garam masala. Fold in currants and set aside (cover to keep warm).

Finally prepare the sauce, combin tahini and lemon juice into a small bowl. Whisk vigorously until tahini separates and then smooths out to a creamy texture (stick with me here, the tahini will "fall apart" in the lemon juice all oil-on-water like but after about a minute or so, it will start to thicken and will become very creamy). Add garlic and broth to sauce. Season with salt to taste.

To assmeble: pile up a huge mound of squash on a plate. Top with broccoli and drizze with sauce. Delish!

Butternut Squash & Beet Greens Socca with Creamy Sage Sauce

 

Socca 101. Also referred to as farinata, socca is a chickpea flour crepe traditionally baked in an open oven on a copper pan originating from Genoa, perfected in Nice, prepared all over Tuscany, enjoyed in many other parts of the world like Algeria and Argentina. In short, a delicious, fast and incredibly easy finger food that can make the most timid chef feel like a James Beard Award winner. Not only is the basic recipe more basic than any other pancake, but the taste and texture are deceivingly delectable and highly addictive.

Chickpea flour, also known as gram flour or besan, is a terrific gluten-free ingredient that every adventurous cook should have in their tool kit. It can be used as a substitute in many recipes needing a thickener and can stand in for eggs in a pinch. Heck, I’ve even used it to whip up a good ole batch of hummus on the fly and no one was the wiser. It’s commonly used in India and Pakistan to make flatbreads or as a binder for fried finger food. This was my first “fun” flour outside of the standard wheat and corn flour and I’m still getting to know it’s potential. If you want added fiber AND protein, besan’s your bean.

So I made the Mediterranean Socca with the South Asian chickpea flour and turned it into a Sicilian style pizza using local Arizonan produce – how’s that for fusion? Use whats you gots.

Butternut Squash & Beet Greens Socca
Makes: 2-3 servings
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Socca
1 c. chickpea flour
1 c. + 2 T. water
3/4 tsp. salt
2 T. olive oil
Dash of white pepper and nutmeg

For the toppings
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3-4 c. beet greens
Creamy Sage Sauce (recipe below)

Directions


For the Socca
In a medium bowl, gently whisk water and salt into chickpea flour. Drizzle batter with olive oil and stir to blend. Set batter aside or in refrigerator for 2 hours (up to 12) before preparing.

To make the socca, preheat the oven to broil on high. Thinly coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with just over a half cup of batter. Swirl to cover bottom completely. Place in oven and cook until edges start the brown and the top become golden (time will vary per oven but it should take 7-10 minutes for the first and 6-7 minutes for the next ones as the pan gets hotter in the oven). It should be firm but not crispy or soggy soft. Remove and place on serving plate. Repeat process with remaining batter.

For the toppings
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat squash with cooking spray and spread on a baking sheet. Roast 30-40 minutes or until tender and browned on edges. Alternatively you could microwave or steam the squash. Mash the cooked cubes slightly and set aside.

Steam the beet greens or braise in vegetable broth. To braise them, place about ¾ cup of vegetable broth in a skillet and bring to a boil. Add green and cover. Cook 2-3 minutes or until leaves are wilted. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

To Assemble
Assemble each plate individually by placing one socca as the base on a plate, spreading a layer of greens follow by a layer or scoop of mashed squash. Finish with a generous drizzle of Creamy Sage Sauce (recipe below).


Creamy Sage Sauce
Makes: 2 cups
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 T. Earth Balance
2 T. potato flour or all-purpose flour
1 c. almond milk or other type of non-dairy milk
1 c. vegetable broth or water
3-4 T. fresh sage, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)
¼ tsp. salt
Dash of nutmeg and white pepper

Directions

In a small sauce pan, melt Earth Balance over medium heat and add flour of choice. Stir until blended completely and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in almond milk, stirring vigorously until all clumps are gone. Whisk in vegetable broth and bring sauce to a low boil. When bubbling, reduce heat to low and cook until sauce is thickened to desired consistency. Add sage, thyme and remaining spices. Taste and adjust according to spice preference.