Let us roast veggies again like we did last fall

 

The temperature has just dipped about 30 degrees in the past two or three days and that got me thinking about roasting things.  As a non-meat eater, that leaves me with only vegetables and fruits as potential victims. 

 

Then I thought about writing this column and how it was due, well, today, and then I figured I would write about recipes using roasted ingredients. So I started in, and then, out of curiosity, went back in my files to see what I had written about for past columns in the fall, and¬—no big surprise, I suppose—I have written about roasting veggies: roasted wraps and lasagna; roasted garlic and tomatoes, roasted beets, etc. I must be a one-trick pony!

But still, there is more to roast:

 

1 large head of cauliflower

1 head of garlic, cloves separated, but not peeled
white parts of one or two leeks, sliced into about half-inch rings and rinsed thoroughly

1 or 2 T of olive oil

1 C raw cashews, soaked at least four hours up to overnight in water to cover, rinsed 

salt and pepper to taste. (Purists would use white pepper to keep the all--white theme going on. I am not a purist. Your choice.)

Separate cauliflower into pieces about the size of broccoli florets and place on a large rimmed baking sheet, non-stick or parchment covered, with the garlic cloves and leeks. Sprinkle with olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven until cauliflower is tender. If the cauliflower is tender way before the garlic and leeks, remove it from the pan and continue to cook until the garlic and leeks are also soft. 

When the garlic cloves are cool enough, squeeze out the garlic and place with the vegetables and any juices created from roasting into a blender with the rinsed and drained cashews. Add enough water to thin to your desired consistency. ( You could also serve as is as a veggie puree. Smear a swath of it under some slices of roasted squash or sweet potato, for instance.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Swirl a bit of olive oil on top when serving. 

Now, don’t limit yourself to cauliflower. You can make any soup or puree with any roasted vegetables in this fashion. Squash is a definite candidate. Sweet potatoes, fennel, red peppers? Of course! Be inventive and give it a try. There is very little hands-on time for a dish like this and it is very rewarding.

 

about 4C shredded potatoes or carrots or zucchini or sweet potatoes, etc. (or a blend of several) 

shredded red or yellow onion, one small or half of a large

garbanzo bean flour

1/4 t. turmeric

1/2 t. oregano

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Shred vegetables and let sit for a couple of minutes to release some of their liquids.  Add oregano, turmeric  and salt and pepper, then toss in some garbanzo (also known as besan) flour. Stir until well combined.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. (Non-stick is best; less oil needed that way. ) When pan is hot, place a spoonful of the mixture and flatten it a bit. The size is up to you—smaller for an appetizer selection or larger for an entree. Here is the only hard part: do not try to flip it over until it is crispy and totally cooked on the bottom. When it is, flip over and cook the other side until crispy. Serve with salsa or chipotle mayo or bbq sauce, etc. Or just  a bit of sriracha swirled over the top works too.

The interesting thing about these two recipes is that the protein sources become just part of the lusciousness of the dish: the soaked cashews in the first and the garbanzo bean flour in the second. You could just use any old all-purpose, gluten-free flour in the fritter recipe and you would end up with veggie fritters. But the garbanzo flour ramps the recipe up to one that is much more flavorful, with a higher nutritional profile. Nothing wrong with that thinking!