Most people love a roast dinner. Sometimes, though, it could do with a bit of jazzing up so that it’s not just the same old, same old.
Here we’ve dressed some roasted pumpkin and corn with a delicious, healthy and versatile sunflower seed aioli, thinned to a drizzleable dressing. All that would be a tasty match with a lovely free-range chook and some greens, or with a loin of pork and some balsamic onions or just on its own. Whatever you choose, we’re sure the dish will become a new colourful, roast favourite.
Use the dressing with a range of other vegetables such as steamed broccoli or Dutch carrots. The thicker aioli, which you make first, is great as a dip especially with crisp, red radishes.
Caren
ROASTED PUMPKIN AND CORN WITH SUNFLOWER SEED DRESSING
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
Sunflower Seed Aioli
150 gm sunflower seeds, soaked for 8 hours
1 peeled garlic clove, microwaved in a little water for 30 seconds
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
50 ml strained lemon juice
100 ml water
100 ml olive oil
To make the aioli, drain the sunflower seeds and place in a food processor.
Add the garlic clove and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Blend until the seeds have broken down. Add the lemon juice and water and blend until the mix is pale and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Then gradually drip in the oil until a thick emulsion is achieved. Season with the extra tablespoon of soy sauce according to taste.
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Makes about 1½ cups. You will need ½ cup for the dressing.
Roasted Pumpkin and Corn with Sunflower Seed Dressing
½ butternut or Japanese pumpkin, seeded and thickly sliced
1 corncob, husked
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
½ cup Sunflower Seed Aioli, see above
2 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, dry fried until just coloured
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Pour in the 2 tablespoons of oil and place the pumpkin slices on the tray, turning to coat with the oil. Snap or cut the corncob in two and add to the tray. Drizzle the soy sauce over the vegetables. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the vegetables and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and place the pumpkin on a serving platter. Cut the kernels from the cob and scatter these over the pumpkin.
With a fork, whisk the ½ cup sunflower seed aioli and the warm water until combined, adding more aioli or water if required. Drizzle this over the vegetables. Scatter over the fried sunflower seeds, chilli flakes and the parsley leaves.
The Sunflower Seed Aioli can be served as a dip with crudités.
We prefer to use Enokido Miso Gluten-Free Millet Soy Sauce or Brown Rice Soy Sauce, available on Saturdays at Carriageworks Farmers Markets at Eveleigh, Sydney.