This dish reminds me of my eldest son as he and I have been making it for many years, with millions of variations. Feel free to change up the toppings with any of the following: blanched broccoli, roasted cauliflower, roast baby beets and carrots, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, a sprinkling of feta – the options are endless.
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
1 orange kumara
⅓ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup lightly toasted walnuts
1 cup picked basil or coriander leaves (a few leaves reserved for garnish)
½ cup mint leaves (a few leaves reserved for garnish)
½ cup parsley leaves
1 clove garlic
½ cup grated parmesan
2–4 eggs, boiled for 5 minutes, cooled and peeled
3 cups pre-cooked brown rice
2 cups baby spinach or watercress leaves
1 avocado, halved and sliced
½ cup caramelised onions (homemade or store-bought is fine)
2 tablespoons roasted chickpeas (optional) to serve
2 tablespoons dukkah to serve
sea salt to season
METHOD
If the kumara is a bit gnarly, peel it, otherwise just give it a good scrub. Slice into 2cm thick rounds and drizzle with one tablespoon of the oil and honey, season with sea salt and roast for 20–25 minutes until soft. Leave to cool slightly.
Put walnuts, herbs, remaining oil, garlic and parmesan in a food processor and blend until smooth. Bring a pot of water to the boil and drop peeled eggs in for 1 minute. Drain.
Microwave rice (or drop into a large pot of boiling water) until well-heated through. Drain rice if necessary and stir through half of the walnut pesto and half of the spinach leaves then spoon on to serving plates.
Top with heated eggs, avocado, kumara, caramelised onion, roasted chickpeas (if using) and remaining spinach. Top with a few blobs of remaining pesto and a sprinkling of dukkah and reserved herbs.
Pantry note: I use brown rice all the time so have 1-cup quantities in sealable bags in my freezer, ready to defrost.
Stuck in the Kitchen
Sarah Tuck is a food writer and photographer based in Auckland. For more recipe ideas and cooking inspiration, visit her beautifully photographed blog, Stuck in the Kitchen. To read a little more about her and find out how Stuck in the Kitchen began, click here to read our story on her.
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latest issue:
126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.