roast carrot + tahini purée

locorcoran

I can’t get enough of these fully loaded salad plates that I’ve been making for Corks and me lately. Making, more like totally devouring, I should say.

Apart from having plenty of roast veggies, they’re jam packed full of fresh salad ingredients and either tinned salmon or tuna, boiled eggs, crispy lentils or tofu. Brown rice or quinoa always seem to make an appearance and I thoroughly enjoy choosing what nuts and seeds to add, delving into my ever growing collection from the large Tupperware container on the top shelf of my fridge.

But amongst all of this deliciousness, the one thing that we both can’t seem to get enough of are the homemade purées and hummus’ I’ve been making. Take this roast carrot purée as an example. There’s something glorious about the texture of the soft, smooth, filling and flavoursome carrot, tahini and garlic against all of the other elements on the plate.

Made simply by roasting some carrots before blitzing them together with some tahini, minced garlic, ground cumin, a drizzle of maple syrup, a glug of olive oil, a few drops of sesame oil and a spritz of fresh lemon juice.

And you can serve this puree with everything. It goes beautifully under a piece of crispy pan fried barramundi or a grilled piece of chicken breast or steak. I sometimes add some natural yoghurt and serve it with some crackers as a dip or more commonly, I make it to add to my loaded salad plates.

This is a terrific example of taking some simple and humble ingredients and turning them into something really quite special.

Do yourself a favour and try it. Eating salad doesn’t have to be boring.

roast carrot + tahini purée

(makes enough for two as part of a fully loaded salad plate or to serve with a piece of grilled fish or chicken)

4 – 6 carrots
1 x dessertspoon of tahini
1 x small clove of minced garlic
A sprinkling of ground cumin
A drizzle of maple syrup
A glug of olive oil
A couple of drops of sesame oil
The juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly cracked pepper

  • Roast some carrots in olive oil and salt and pepper until nice and gnarly and soft.
  • Add them to a large mixing bowl with the tahini, garlic, cumin, maple syrup, olive oil, sesame oil, lemon juice and some salt and pepper.
  • Blitz together using a bar mix, adding the teeniest, tiniest splash of water if it needs loosening up.
  • Enjoy.

Here is my carrot and tahini puree served alongside some quinoa, roasted cauliflower and broccolini, baby spinach, toasted almonds, spiced pan fried chickpeas, feta, cornichons, cucumber and a boiled egg with sesame seeds.
There’s no better way to make eating veggies more enjoyable than by roasting them in olive oil with some salt and pepper.

If you make this puree, I’d love to know your thoughts. xx

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