This is a combination of three simple things that come together into a devilishly delicious dish: maple roast carrots with a subtle hit of spice, crispy seasoned chickpeas and a cooling, creamy garlic yogurt sauce. Substantial, impressive side or meat-free meal!

Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce

I love dishes like this. Take nice-but-nothing-spectacular things. In today’s case, spicy maple roasted carrots (3 ingredients), crispy chickpeas (crack a can) and a yogurt sauce.

Individually – fine.

Together – INCREDIBLE!

The thing here that makes this so special is the contrast of flavours and textures. Sweet and spicy from the carrots. Crunchy and savoury from the chickpeas. Creamy and cooling from the lemony garlic yogurt sauce.

It is so, so, SO very good!

I also think you’ll appreciate the convenience of the making process. Both the carrots and chickpeas cook in the oven at the same time, taking around 30 minutes for the carrots to become caramelised and tender, and the chickpeas crispy and clattering across the tray.

You do big swirly smears of the yogurt sauce on a platter, pile the glistening carrots on top and shower with the crunchy chickpeas, stand back and you immediately know you’ve just made something moreishly delicious!

How much do you wish that spoon was heading towards your mouth right now??

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these loaded spicy maple roast carrots. Actually not that much! I’ve just broken it up into groups for ease of reading.

Carrot options

I like the visuals of dutch carrots but you can use ordinary carrots instead. Just cut them in quarters or half lengthwise so they are around the same width as dutch carrots.

Spicy maple sauce for roasting

Just sriracha (for spiciness and vinegar) and maple syrup. You can use honey instead, though I really love the flavour maple brings to this dish.

Crispy roasted chickpeas

Just a can of chickpeas and a simple seasoning adds great crunch and extra fun to this dish! It also adds starch which turns it into meal-territory.

lemon garlic yogurt sauce

Here’s what you need for the yogurt sauce. This is a simple, powerhouse sauce that’s incredibly versatile that I use frequently, from Chicken Shawarma wraps to draping over roasted pumpkin, koftas to lamb borek. Use a good Greek or Greek-style yogurt if you can, else any plain yogurt (not sweetened or flavoured).

How to make it

Toss and roast. That’s really all it takes! The chickpeas and spicy maple roast carrots will both take around 30 minutes in the oven so we can do them both at the same time.

1. Dry roast plain chickpeas – Drain the chickpeas, spread them out on a tray then roast for 10 minutes. After many years of baking chickpeas, I can definitely say this makes oven baked chickpeas crispier than if you air dry or dry them with tea towels, not to mention faster and more convenient!

2. Season – Then toss the chickpeas with the oil, salt, pepper and seasonings. I just do this on the tray – if you’d got a rubber spatula, you can scrape-and-toss pretty effectively just straight on the tray.

3. Roast – Then roast the chickpeas for a further 20 to 25 minutes until they are crispy. You’ll know just by shaking the tray when they’re ready as they will clatter noisily around on the tray.

4. Toss the carrots in the sriracha, maple syrup, salt, pepper and oil.

5. Roast 30 minutes – Spread on the tray then bake for 30 minutes until the carrots are tender and they are a bit caramelised.

6. Yogurt sauce – Mix the ingredients until combined.

7. Extra sauce (optional) – I also like to mix up just a splash of plain maple and sriracha to pour over as extra sauce. Mainly for extra sauce, because the sauce used to roast the carrots is caramelised onto the carrots as we want, rather than remaining in a pool on the tray, and I like the fresh vinegary hit that the sriracha brings to the dish. But it’s optional!

8. Assemble – Then to assemble, spread the yogurt sauce on a plate. Pile on the carrots, including scraping out any juice left on the tray. Pour over the extra maple-sriracha sauce, then tumble over the chickpeas. Sprinkle with coriander (and pistachios as an optional extra, if using) then serve immediately!

How to serve these loaded spicy maple roast carrots

Think beyond the side dish!

1. As a meal – Hand on heart, what you see in the photos was my lunch then dinner (I was stuffing carrots in warmed pita breads)

2. Salad lunch spread* with friends – This clunky titled concept is something I like to especially do for lunch gatherings with friends. I put out a selection of what I call “substantial salads” (ie not just a bowl of leafy greens), crusty bread, and usually some crudités with hummus or feta dip. This dish is definitely going to make my next salad lunch spread!

   I like doing these salad spreads because it’s something different, people alway like a selection of dishes, I choose salads that can be prepared ahead and it’s usually an easy way to deal with the inevitable presence of someone gluten-free, vegetarian and/or “trying to be healthy”.

3. As a side dish. Yes, I had to list it! And definitely an occasion-worthy side dish.

There you go! I’d love to know what you think of this dish. I always get a touch nervous with recipes I just invent on a whim, usually when I get inspired when I see a particular ingredient on special (in this case, dutch carrots!). – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce

Recipe video above. This is a combination of 3 simple things that are devilishly good together: slightly spicy caramelised maple roasted carrots, crispy seasoned chickpeas and a cooling, creamy yogurt sauce with a subtle hint of garlic. The chickpeas add terrific crunch and because they're a starch, you can easily serve this substantial side dish as a meal.

Both the carrots and chickpeas take around 30 minutes in the oven but you might need to add an extra 5 minutes or so depending on how long you take when you take the trays out to toss/season etc .

Course Side, vegetarian main

Cuisine MIddle eastern vibes, Western

Keyword carrot side dish, Roasted Carrots

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5 as a side, 2 – 3 as a main

Calories 304cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Carrots (choose one):

• 16 Dutch carrots , scrubbed clean and tops trimmed (keep 2cm/1″ of tops for looks)
• 600 g/ 1.2 lb regular carrots (5 medium), peeled, cut into quarters (Note 1)

Spicy maple sauce (for carrots):

• 3 tbsp maple syrup (or 2 1/2 tbsp honey)
• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Crispy seasoned chickpeas:

• 400g/ 14 oz can chickpeas , drained but not dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Extra sauce (optional) – Note 2

• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp sriracha

Lemon garlic yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic , finely grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Garnishes:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves (sub parsley)
• 3 tbsp toasted pistachios , finely chopped (Note 3)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/425°F (180°C fan). Arrange the oven racks so they are 20 cm/8" apart (for air circulation).
• Chickpeas & carrots – Drain the chickpeas then spread on a tray (still wet). Toss the carrots with the Spicy Maple Sauce ingredients. Put both trays in the oven (carrots on the top shelf).
• Crispy chickpeas – Remove the oven dried chickpeas from the oven after 10 minutes (Note 4). Push them to one side of the tray, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the chickpea spices, salt and pepper. Toss well using a rubber spatula, then return to the oven for a further 20 – 25 minutes until they're crispy (listen for the clatter when you shake the tray – or eat one! Note 4).
• Carrots 30 min – Roast the carrots for 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are tender and caramelised on the edges.
• Yogurt Sauce – Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
• Extra sauce – Mix until combined.
• Assemble – Spread the yogurt sauce on a plate. Pile on the carrots, scraping out every drop of juices on the tray. Drizzle with extra sauce, if using. Sprinkle over chickpeas, then coriander and pistachios. EAT!

Notes

Spice note: Not that spicy, roasting takes the spicy edge of sriracha a bit. If you’re concerned, cut back then if you want more spiciness at the end, just add a bit more sriracha when making up the Extra Sauce.

1. Carrots – I use dutch for visual purposes and because when I made this for the photos, dutch carrots were on special. But regular carrots can be used in a pinch. Cut them vertically into dutch-carrot width long pieces (quarters for normal carrots, half for small ones)

2. Extra sauce – I like to add a touch of extra sauce at the end because all the sauce caramelises in the oven and coats the carrots (as intended). I also like the vinegary tang that the sriracha brings to the dish.

3. Pistachios – A late addition to this dish included in the video that just made it even better! For flavour and also looks good. But it’s optional. Toast over medium heat in a dry skillet (no oil) until there are small golden patches. Remove, cool, chop.

4. Roasted chickpeas should be crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. The initial 10 minute dry roasting will make these oven chickpeas crispier than the usual technique of air or towel drying then roasting, but the fact is they will never be as crispy as deep frying (and that’s ok, our hips are happy with this) and they don’t stay crispy for longer than 2 hours UNLESS you roast them for 45 minutes until they are rock hard all the way through (these are a little too hard to eat, in my opinion)

Leftovers will keep pretty well for a day, bring to room temp them eat (it’s a bit messy to separate yogurt from carrots to heat the carrots). Otherwise keep the components separate and heat the carrots. Oven chickpeas don’t stay crispy for longer than a couple of hours.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings as a side.

Nutrition

Calories: 304cal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 20221IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Since Dozer and I started meeting readers in “real life”, he’s been blessed with adorable gifts from generous people. Here is a memorable one. It’s handmade. So touched a reader took the time to make this!! I just love it. 😇

The post Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Stuffed sweet potato with holiday vibes! Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with crispy bacon, toasty pecans and swirls of browned butter, with melty cheese and a crunchy sage-panko topping. A swoon-worthy combination of flavours and texture.

Stuffed Baked Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a riff on my sweet potato casserole, baked in individual sweet potato boats rather than one big casserole pan. The scooped out flesh of baked sweet potatoes are mashed with all sorts of holiday-flavour-goodness (specifically browned butter, pecans and bacon, an utterly divine combination with sweet potato), stuffed back into the potato boats, baked with melty cheese then finished with a shower of crunchy sage-bacon-flavoured-panko breadcrumbs.

PHEW that’s a long sentence!!!

No, it’s not a quick Monday-night side dish slapped together in a rush. This is a starchy side that commands attention, that’s indulgent and lush and made for special occasions. The flavour combination of sweet-salty-nutty-buttery and the crunchy topping with the creamy insides is just unbelievably good.

Bonus: Assemble ahead then bake on the day!

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes

I’m using 300g/10oz sweet potatoes which, once halved, makes a nice size portion as a side dish for one person, If your potatoes are larger or smaller, that’s fine. There’s enough topping / filling for around 1.2kg / 2.4lb sweet potato, whether it’s 6 smaller ones or 3 larger ones.

This recipe will also work with regular potatoes. But the flavour combination here has been specifically designed for sweet potatoes. Try my regular Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes instead – though there’s nothing regular about how delicious that recipe is!!

Add-ins and crunchy sage-panko topping

Here’s what you need to mix into the filling and for the crunchy topping.

• Unsalted butter – We’re using this to make browned butter today. More intensely buttery with warm nutty flavours. The better butter!

• Bacon – Chopped then fried up until crispy and golden, we use the fat to pan fry the panko until golden. No wasting free flavour!

• Colby cheese – This is my all-rounder go-to cheese with good melting qualities and flavour without going greasy. Feel free to substitute with other cheese of choice – cheddar, tasty, Monterey jack, gruyere, swiss cheese. If using mozzarella, I’d mix in 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese for a flavour / salt boost.

• Spices – Garlic, onion powder and paprika.

• Panko breadcrumbs – For the toppings! Larger and crunchier than ordinary breadcrumbs, find it in the Asian aisle of regular grocery stores (though cheaper at Asian stores!).

• Fresh sage – This is my herb of choice for this holiday-inspired side dish. The earthy flavour is sheer perfection with the buttery sweet potato. If you’re cooking for a special occasion, I think it’s worth getting. But if you don’t have it, you can substitute with rosemary for another herb that will work well with the other flavours in this dish. Otherwise, just use parsley so you get similar green specks (don’t worry, there is plenty of other flavour going on in this dish!).

How to make Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole

In a nutshell, the flesh of baked potatoes are mashed up with the tasty add ins, re-stuffed back into the potato then baked with cheese and a crunchy topping.

1. Bake – Prick the skin with a fork to allow excess juice to leak out (this prevents skin burstage). Then bake the potatoes in a 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan forced) oven for 75 minutes or until soft. Check with a butter knife, not a sharp knife (too sharp so it glides through even if not properly cooked, made this mistake!).

2. Scoop – Let it cool for 10 minutes just so you can handle it. Then cut in half and scoop the flesh out, using a tea towel to hold the potato if needed.

3. Filling – Mash the flesh up with all the filling add-ins (see below for steps for each) – the browned butter, crispy bacon bits, chopped pecans, spices and cheese. Reserve half the bacon, pecans and cheese for topping.

4. Stuff the potato with the filling then top with the remaining cheese,

5. Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melty and there’s golden spots.

6. Top with the reserved bacon, pecans and golden panko mixture (see below). Bake for a further 3 to 4 minutes just to warm the crunchy topping then serve!

Add-ins and panko topping

Prepare the panko topping and add-ins to mix into the filling while the potatoes are baking.

1. Browned butter – Just melt then simmer the butter until you see golden bits and it smells nutty and intensely buttery. Ideally, use a silver saucepan or small pan so you can see the golden bits. Otherwise, use a spoon to scoop up the butter to check.

2. Toast pecans – Using a non-stick pan, toast the pecans for 3 minutes in a dry pan until it you see golden spots. Then transfer to a cutting board and chop once cool,

3. Crispy bacon – In the same pan, fry the bacon until crispy and golden. If using streaky bacon, you won’t need extra oil because the fat in the bacon will melt. Then remove the bacon using a slotted spoon so the fat in the pan gets left behind – we’re not wasting a drop of it!

4. Crunchy panko – Add the panko, sage and salt. Then cook for a few minutes in the bacon fat until the panko is golden.

Toppings, done! Use as per directions in the section above.

Serving and making ahead

We (JB and I) created this recipe with upcoming holiday gatherings in mind. As in, a starchy side dish intended to make an impact on your guests for those extra special dinners.

Does it take more effort than a regular baked potato? It sure does. Does it take more effort than making one big pan of Sweet Potato Casserole? Yes, because we’re assembling multiple ones rather than dumping everything into one big pan.

Is it worth the effort? Yes, a million times over. As someone in my team said, you feel sad when you finish the last bite because you never want the eating experience to end.

But don’t worry. Steal the last one left for yourself. Hide it. No need to share! #HolidaySpirit 😈 – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Holiday Stuffed Sweet Potato

Recipe video above. Stuffed sweet potato made for holiday feasting! Twice baked sweet potatoes stuffed with crispy bacon, toasty pecans and swirls of browned butter with melty cheese, and a crunchy sage-panko topping. A swoon-worthy combination of flavours and texture, this is the individual servings version of my sweet potato casserole.

Excellent special occasion starchy-side dish with holiday flavour vibes. Get ahead by assembling then baking on the day!

Course Sides

Cuisine Western, Western – Holiday Sides

Keyword baked sweet potato, holiday sweet potato side, stuffed sweet potato, sweet potato recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 halves

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 4 x 300g / 10oz sweet potatoes , skin on, washed and dried
• 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp pecan nuts (Note 2)
• 200g / 7 oz streaky bacon , chopped (Note 5 to omit)
• 1 1/2 cups colby cheese , shredded (Note 3)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika

Panko topping:

• 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp sage leaves , finely chopped (Note 4)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan forced).
• Bake – Prick the skin of the potatoes 15 times with a fork. Place on a foil lined baking tray and bake for 75 minutes or until soft all the way through (check with a butter knife).
• Scoop – Once potatoes cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes just to handle. Cut in half lengthwise then scoop out the flesh, leaving a 0.5cm (0.2") wall (use a tea towel if hot). Place flesh in a bowl.
• Stuffing (*see below for prepping components*)- Mash the potatoes with a fork. Then add the browned butter, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder and paprika. The add half of each the pecans, bacon and cheese (rest reserved for toppings). Stir until combined.
• Stuff – Place halved sweet potato back on a paper lined baking tray and stuff them equally with filling. Sprinkle with leftover cheese and bake for 25 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Crunchy topping – Top with reserved pecans, bacon and panko mixture. Bake for another 3 to 4 minutes
• Rest for 5 minutes then serve!

Stuffing & topping components

• Prepare these while the potatoes are baking.
• Browned butter – Melt the butter in a small silver pan or saucepan over medium heat. Leave to simmer on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until (when you push foam aside) you see little golden-brown bits and it smells nutty. Immediately pour into a small bowl (including the golden bits) and set aside.
• Toast pecans – Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add pecans and toast for 2 to 3 minutes until they have golden spots. Transfer to cutting board, cool then finely chop.
• Crispy bacon – Add bacon into the same pan over medium heat. When the fat starts to melt, turn the heat up to medium high and cook until golden (4 to 5 minutes). Scoop out bacon with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl. Leave leftover fat in the pan.
• Golden panko – Still on medium high, add the Panko topping ingredients. Stir until golden, around 2 minutes, then scrape into a bowl.

Notes

1. Sweet potato – If your potatoes are larger or smaller, that’s fine. There’s enough topping / filling for around 1.2kg / 2.4lb sweet potato.

2. Nuts – sub almonds, walnuts, macadamia or other of choice.

3. Cheese alternatives – sub cheddar, tasty, gruyere, Monterey jack, gruyere, swiss cheese. If using mozzarella, I’d mix in 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese for a flavour / salt boost.

4. Sage works so well with the flavours in this dish (fresh, not dried). Rosemary is my back up herb here. Fallback – just use parsley for the green specks in the topping!

5. To leave out bacon – it will still be great without because there’s so many other flavours going on here. If you really want to compensate, then add 1/4 cup parmesan into the filling and 2 tbsp into the Panko mixture. It will take the place of the flavour and salt punch you get from bacon! 

6. Assemble ahead – The potatoes can be cooked and stuffed, then baked the next day. Leftovers will keep for 4 days though there’s nothing like freshly baked!

Nutrition per serving.

More statement starchy sides

Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)

Spiral Sweet Potato Bake

Twice Baked Potatoes (Stuffed Jacket Potatoes)

Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks (Muffin Tin)

Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks

Fondant potatoes

Potato Recipes

Life of Dozer

A duck must’ve pooped there.

The post Holiday Stuffed Sweet Potato – with bacon, pecans & sage appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Make frozen peas fabulous with this recipe for garlic buttered peas! A quick side dish that goes with everything, the peas are sauté-steamed in garlic butter, rather than boiling separately. Easier, tastier, never mushy and so tasty you’ll become known for them.

I tend to shy away from sharing basic recipes like today’s Buttered Peas. Too easily distracted by more exciting-sounding dishes. Pierogis! Crispy chicken burgers! Chocolate cream pie!

Yet, the irony in all this, of course, is that I make these peas a gazillion times more often than I do Basque Cheesecake. A staple side dish, quick to make but totally restaurant-worthy. Though, posh restaurants might pod their own rather than buying frozen. I guess they don’t buy into the whole snap-frozen thing like I do?

Ingredients

I am a bit of a frozen vegetable snob. You’ll never find store-bought frozen broccoli or onion in my freezer. But you will always find peas. Because they are good!

• Frozen peas – Cook from FROZEN, not thawed! Well, it’s fine if they are thawed but there is no need to.

  Baby vs regular – The recipe works for either. Baby peas (called petite peas in some countries) are slightly sweeter with a slightly softer skin. I am partial to these but won’t hesitate to use regular peas.

  Fresh – You could also put me to shame by making this recipe with freshly podded peas.

• Butter – For lovely buttery flavour. Substitute with other oil of choice – extra virgin olive oil is my next pick, coconut oil for a tropical / Indian vibe.

• Garlic – It just makes everything that much more delicious. Fresh please! Give the jarred stuff a miss – it’s sour and wet so you can’t sauté it properly and the flavour barely resembles the real deal.

• Salt and pepper – Seasoning. Peas need it!

How I cook frozen peas

To cook from frozen, just add the tiniest splash of water which helps steam-sauté them faster. The water evaporates by the time the peas are cooked.

1. Sauté garlic – Melt the butter then sauté the garlic until very light golden in medium heat, around 30 seconds.

2. Tip the frozen peas in with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of water which creates a steamy environment to cook the peas a little faster. The water evaporates in a few minutes, leaving behind just tasty butter!

3. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, or until the peas are heated through. Frozen peas are cooked before freezing so they don’t need to be cooked!

4. Serve – Done and ready to serve! Pour into a bowl or put straight onto dinner plates.

   Delicious to eat as is – I challenge you to stop at one spoonful – but suggestions for dressing up are below!

Dress them up

For every day, buttered peas are terrific just as they are. The garlic and butter go a long way to make peas a whole lot more interesting!

But, if you’d like to step it up a notch or just feel like doing something different, here are some suggestions:

• Mint them – Toss through finely chopped fresh mint. Mint and peas is a classic! Add however much you want, to your taste.

• Lemon – Stir through lemon zest for beautiful lemon flavour, or juice for tang.

• Shower of parmesan – As with many things, a mound of freshly grated parmesan will turn this into a show-stopping side!

• Clarified / browned butter instead of ordinary butter – for even more intense buttery flavour.

• Spice it – Add some curry powder, cumin, coriander, or other spice of choice into the butter, for a touch of extra flavour.

• Crunch it – Finish with a big handful of store-bought crispy Asian Fried Shallots or pangrattato (from this recipe), for great texture!

But that’s enough from me. What about you? I know you’ve got a stack of other creative (easy!) ways to dress up a bowl of peas. Share, share! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

How I cook frozen peas – Garlic Buttered Peas

Recipe video above. Make frozen peas fabulous with my recipe for buttered peas! A quick side that goes with everything. Don't boil the peas – cook from frozen in garlic butter. Easier, tastier, bright green, never mushy and never watery!

Course Side

Cuisine Western

Keyword buttered peas, chickpea recipe, pea side dish recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 129cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter (or other oil/fat)
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 500g / 1 lb frozen peas (Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

• Sauté garlic – Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until light golden.
• Cook – Add frozen peas, salt, pepper and water. Turn heat up to medium high and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the water is evaporated, the peas are hot and coated in the tasty garlic butter.
• Serve – Tumble into a bowl and serve!

Notes

1. Peas – Baby peas (also called petite peas) are slightly sweeter and slightly more tender skin than regular peas. But by no means do I have a negative thoughts about regular peas!

2. Dress up peas – Finely chopped mint stirred through at the end, a shower of parmesan (oh yes!), lemon zest and/or juice, a pinch of cumin or coriander powder stirred into the butter (or other spices of choice). Fresh herbs of choice, chopped and stirred through at the end. So many options!

3. Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 129cal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 847IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

More sides

Pea Puree (side / sauce!)

Pea, Cabbage, Parmesan and Mint Salad

Spring Salad!

Peas

Life of Dozer

Snippet from today’s recipe video!

The post How I cook frozen peas – Garlic Buttered Peas appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

How to make roasted pumpkin so much more fabulous with very little effort? A dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation. Kick of fresh chilli. Plus a sprinkle of feta and shower of walnuts! Serve as a side, a meal, pile on toast or crostini. It’s delicious any which way!

Maple roasted pumpkin with feta and chilli

Something magical happens to pumpkin when you roast it. It intensifies the sweetness and caramelises beautifully.

I’d happily eat it plain. But here, we step it up a notch with a few simple additions that work so well with pumpkin. A dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation. Plus a hit of fresh chilli, soft nutty crunchy of walnuts and creamy pops of salty feta…..you know this is going to be good!

That’s dinner, right there. Or a mighty delicious side.

Ingredient you need

Here’s what you need to make this.

The roasting stuff

• Pumpkin – Any eating pumpkin. I typically use Kent or Jap which are common varieties here in Australia. Do not use pumpkin intended for Halloween carving, it’s not very pleasant to eat.

  Alternatives – Butternut pumpkin (called butternut squash in the States) or sweet potato!

• Maple syrup – or honey.

• Dried chilli flakes – also called red pepper flakes. I use the regular type you get from ordinary grocery stores but you could absolutely use Asian or other types of chilli flakes. Just be mindful of spiciness!

• Red onion – substitute regular onion, eschalots (US: shallots) or the white part of green onions (I often have bunches in the fridge with the green parts unceremoniously hacked off for garnish purposes so am always looking for uses of the white part).

• Walnuts – Or other nuts of choice. Almonds and pecans come to mind first. Pinenuts, pepitas and other small nuts/seeds would also work but I’d toss them in partway through cooking so they don’t burn into tiny little black (bitter) pellets.

Finishes

• Chilli – This is optional because it’s more for visual than spiciness, because we get enough spiciness from the dried chilli flakes. Large chillis, like the cayenne pepper pictured, aren’t very spicy. Good life rule to remember: the larger the chilli, the less spicy it is!

• Danish feta – This is the feta type that is a bit more creamy than Greek feta. Greek feta also works, though I do like the way Danish feta sort of smears as it semi-melts on contact with the hot pumpkin.

  If you are making to really impress, go premium by using goats cheese!

• Parsley – For pretty green finish.

How to make Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chilli and Feta

This is a recipe that’s more about the finishes. The pumpkin is roasted with onion and walnuts, all tossed with maple syrup. Then once cooked, sprinkle with feta, red chilli and parsley. Then get stuck in!

1. Cut the pumpkin in 2.5cm / 1″ cubes. To do this I cut into 2.5cm / 1″ slices first. Using a rocking motion as you slice down helps make this easy.

2. Cut the skin off.

3. Then cut into cubes.

4. Pile onto a large paper lined tray with the onion slices and walnuts. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and chilli flakes then spread it out. The more space between the pumpkin, the better. If the pumpkin is too cluttered, it will stew and go mushy instead of caramelising.

5. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once at the 20 minute mark, until the pumpkin is light golden and cooked through. You won’t get intense golden colour on the surface, not like plain roast pumpkin cubes (such as in this recipe), because the maple syrup will burn on the edges of the cubes before the surface goes completely golden.

   Also, the onion will get quite dark brown. If you notice at the tossing point that it’s getting a little too brown, just push/pile them all together or bury under pumpkin. This will protect them!

6. Finishing – Give the pumpkin a gently toss to coat it in all the tasty tray juices. Then transfer to a serving platter – single layer is nice for even sprinkling coverage and neat presentation. Sprinkle with fresh chilli, feta and parsley, then serve!

Or – jumble and pile

I know I said a single layer presentation looks nice and neat. But actually, for maximum flavour-melding-more-rustic presentation (aka Nagi style), do most of the sprinkling on the tray, reserving some for garnish. Then transfer into a serving bowl. Flavour jumbling will occur during transfer and piling.

Finish with reserved feta etc to pretty it up.

Whichever way you go, single layer neatness or jumbled piled up rustic-ness, it still rates the same on the deliciousness scale. Which is, in case you hadn’t guessed, very, very high.

Tell me if you serve this as a side or inhale it as a meal! – Nagi x

PS In case you didn’t know I have a whole category of pumpkin side dishes as part of the vegetable and salad side dishes corner of this website! Mostly relatively low effort, like this one, with a scattering of show-offs for special occasions.

PPS This is not the first time I’ve combined pumpkin. See also here and here.

Watch how to make it

Print

Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Recipe video above. A seriously delicious, low-effort way to serve roast pumpkin: with a dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation, a kick of chilli, warm crunch of walnuts and salty pops of creamy feta.

Serves 3 as a main or 6 as a side. I made this with pumpkin but it is just as delicious made with squash or sweet potato!

Course Roasted, Vegetables

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 3 – 6

Calories 165cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 2 lb / 1 kg pumpkin , peeled, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (whole, unpeeled weight – Note 1)
• 1 red onion , peeled, halved, then cut into 1cm / 0.4" wedges
• 1/2 cup walnuts , roughly chopped (Note 2)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (sub brown sugar Note 3),
• 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes , adjust to taste (Note 4)

Garnishes (Optional)

• 3/4 cup Danish feta (or Greek feta, or upgrade to goats cheese)
• 1 large red chilli (cayenne pepper), deseeded, finely minced
• 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
• Toss – Place the pumpkin, onion and walnuts on a large, paper lined tray. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then toss to coat (hands really is best). Sprinkle with chilli and salt, toss again, then spread out on a tray. Don't crowd them else they will stew instead of roast!
• Roast for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is lightly browned and cooked through, tossing once at the 20 minute mark.
• Finishes – Remove from the oven. Gently toss again, then transfer to a serving platter in a single layer. Crumble over feta, sprinkle with parsley and chilli. Or do the sprinkling on the tray then pile into a bowl. Serve immediately!

Notes

1. Pumpkin – Any type for eating is suitable (not Halloween carving). Or butternut or sweet potato!

2. Nuts- Feel free to use other nuts. Large ones similar size to walnuts will take the same time. If using pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pepitas (or other small nuts), add them halfway through the roasting time.

3. Brown sugar sub – Mix with olive oil then toss to coat.

4. Chilli flakes – 1 1/2 tsp has a decent warm, unmissable hum but not super spicy. 1 tsp is more subtle. Feel free to skip it!

5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days.

Nutrition assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition

Serving: 214g | Calories: 165cal

Recipe update: This is an old recipe from 2015 that was in desperate need of spruced up photos, a recipe video tutorial and most importantly, recipe improvements! The same recipe, just tweaked to fix.

More delicious things to make with pumpkin

Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Pumpkin Soup

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Honey-Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad

Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin

Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin recipes

Life of Dozer

Don’t miss Dozer in today’s recipe video!! Did he get to taste test….??

The post Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.