I love this bright and tasty play on a traditional pilaf. The slow roasted onions really lift the dish and make it something special. Great on its own, or as a side to meat or fish.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups quinoa (any colour)
3 cups vegetable stock
3 onions
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ crown pumpkin, peeled and chopped into cubes (you need roughly 3 cups of chopped pumpkin)
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
melted ghee or olive oil for roasting (3 tablespoons for the onions and 2 tablespoons for the pumpkin)
zest and juice one lemon
4 tablespoons good quality olive oil for drizzling
½ cup fresh mint leaves, sliced into ribbons
100 grams goat feta
sea salt and cracked black pepper
To garnish
mint leaves
pumpkin seeds (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Peel the onions and cut into eighths. Place in an oven dish with the turmeric, maple syrup and oil and toss well. Roast for 1 hour or until the onions are meltingly soft.
Toss the pumpkin in oil and place in the oven to roast for 45-60 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
Place the quinoa in a saucepan with the stock. Cover and bring to the boil and then leave to simmer with the lid ajar for 15-20 minutes, or until all the stock has dissolved.
Combine the quinoa with the roasted pumpkin and onions. Stir well. Add the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, mint and a good seasoning of sea salt and cracked black pepper.
To serve: Garnish with additional mint leaves and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds if desired.
Can be served immediately warm, or at room temperature.
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.