Page 28 - Fresh Magazine - Winter 2017

’ ti eseso ggie

Chestnut and root veg Roasted carrots with
Wellington pomegranate and pistachios

SERVES 4 TO 6 SERVES 4 AS A SIDE
2 sheets of ready-rolled puff ½ small bunch of fresh rosemary, 5 medium carrots 1 pomegranate
pastry, thawed fi nely chopped 2 tablespoons oil 100g pistachios or cashews
2 medium onions 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari 2 tablespoons maple syrup a few sprigs of fresh thyme or
3 medium carrots, about 200g 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar rosemary
2 parsnips, about 150g ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt
100g cashew nuts pinch of cayenne pepper Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas over a bowl with your fi ngers
4 tablespoons oil 150g cooked couscous, preferably mark 4. Line a baking tray with spread open to allow the seeds
200g vacuum-packed cooked wholemeal non-stick baking paper. to fall through. Use the back of a
chestnuts ½ lemon, juice only wooden spoon to bash the top
½ small bunch of fresh sage, gravy, to serve Slice the carrots lengthwise into and the seeds will fall through
fi nely chopped, plus extra to cranberry sauce, to serve four long strips so that they are
garnish redcurrants, to garnish long thin wedges. Put the wedges your fi ngers into the bowl. If you
in a large mixing bowl. spot any white bits in the bowl,
remove them, as they are bitter.
Take the pastry out of the freezer unbroken cashew nuts together Put the oil, maple syrup, balsamic Give the pomegranate halves a
the night before and put it in the with the broken-up pieces and mix vinegar and salt in a small bowl good squeeze into a glass to get
fridge to defrost overnight. well. Taste the stuffi ng and season and whisk together using a fork. all the juice too. Drink the juice as
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas if you think it needs any more salt Pour the dressing on top of the a little bonus for the cook!
mark 4. Line a baking tray with or pepper. carrots and mix until all the Toast the nuts by putting them
non-stick baking paper. Add the cooked couscous and carrots are completely coated. in a dry frying pan without any
To make the chestnut cashew lemon juice to the stuffi ng and Spread the coated carrots on the oil. Set on a high heat and cook,
stuffi ng, peel and thinly slice the put the pan back on the heat. lined baking tray. Roast in the stirring regularly, until they start
onions. Chop any rough gnarly Cook through for a couple more oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until to turn golden but not burn. This
bits off the carrots and parsnips minutes, stirring well, until they start to crisp up and char, should take 5 to 8 minutes and
and grate them. There’s no need everything is warm and well but keep an eye on them so they you should watch them like a
to peel the veg, as there’s a lot of mixed. don’t burn, as sugars can catch hawk. Sip your pomegranate juice
goodness in the skin. To assemble the Wellington, lightly quite quickly. to pass the time!
If your cashew nuts are not brush one sheet of pastry with the While the carrots are in the Once the carrots are done,
roasted, then put them in a small remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on oven, it’s time to deseed the transfer them to a serving bowl
dry pan set on a high heat and the top side and put on the lined pomegranate and toast the nuts. and scatter the pomegranate
toast them for 5 to 8 minutes, baking tray. Cut the pomegranate in half seeds and toasted nuts on top.
stirring occasionally, till they start Put the cashew chestnut fi lling through the equator, not the Finally, sprinkle the fresh thyme or
to go golden, making sure they into the centre third of the pastry, stems. Hold one half in your hand rosemary leaves over to fi nish.
don’t burn. Set aside to cool. leaving a third of the pasty clear
Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a on either side and also leaving
large frying pan or pot set on a a little space on each end so
medium heat. Add the onions that you can properly seal your
and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring Wellington. Form the fi lling into a
regularly, until they start to go smooth mound. Sweet potato wedges
translucent. Add the grated carrots Place the other sheet of pastry
and parsnips and sweat for 5 more on top of the mound. Bring the with spicy sauce
minutes, stirring regularly. Remove pastry around the fi lling from SERVES 4 AS A SIDE
the pot from the heat. both sides so that it covers the
Meanwhile, crush two-thirds fi lling completely from both ends
of your roasted cashew nuts by and brush a little oil on top. Trim 3 medium sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
putting them in a food processor any excess pastry from the edges. 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 tablespoons soy sauce or
and pulsing until they are fi nely You can use any leftover pastry to tamari 2 teaspoons maple or agave
chopped. If you don’t have a food make Christmas-themed shapes. 4 tablespoons water syrup
processor, you can crush them Brush the entire outer layer of the 2 tablespoons tomato purée ½ teaspoon chilli powder
by wrapping them in a clean tea pastry with oil to seal.
towel and bashing them with a Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Cut the sweet potatoes
small pan or rolling pin until they minutes, until the pastry starts lengthwise into wedges, removing any gnarly bits on the skin. We
get all mashed up and fi ne. to turn golden brown and the always leave the skin on as there is lots of nutrition and fi bre in the skin.
Finely chop the cooked chestnuts kitchen smells fab! Garnish with Put the wedges in a large mixing bowl. Put all the other ingredients in
and combine with the sage and fresh sage and redcurrants. Serve a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce on top of the sweet
rosemary. Add to the pan along with gravy and cranberry sauce on potato wedges and mix well. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a baking
with the soy sauce or tamari, the side for a magical Christmas tray and spread them out evenly. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until
salt, pepper and cayenne. Add meal. they are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and an all-round taste
the remaining one-third of the sensation!

26 | FRESH WINTER 2017

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