Ingredients
Pumpkin or kumara (any kind, use approx 500g) chopped into rough cubes
Olive oil (glug)
Sage or rosemary (small handful of either)
Fennel seeds (small shake - approx 1 tsp)
Fennel bulb (cut into slices)
Garlic (1 clove, crushed)
Brown sugar (approx 1 tsp)
Balsamic vinegar (2 tsp)
Pre-rolled low fat pastry (2 sheets needed to make 8 tartlets)
Baby rocket to serve
Rocket and cashew pesto
Cashews - roasted, unsalted or raw (big handful, approx 1/4 C)
Rocket (approx 1/2 bag / 150g)
Lemon juice and rind (approx 1 small lemon)
Olive oil (approx 1/3 C)
Water (to thin it out if needed)
Method
Heat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Get out the pre-rolled pastry. Cut the squares into 4 squares each (giving you 8 total). Place one small square of pastry into each tartlet tin. OR…If you don’t have tartlet tins then get a baking tray, cover with baking paper and place on the cut squares of pastry. Then get a small ramekin (one for each little square of pastry) grease them up and place them on top of each square of pastry. Then pull the sides of the pastry up to make little pastry cups.
Chuck them in the oven and cook as per instructions until golden and puffed.
In the mean time, chop up the pumpkin, pour over some olive oil, shake on the fennel seeds and crush on the garlic. Chuck it all on the tray. Give it a mix and put it in the oven until golden (about 20 mins.)
Put the chopped fennel bulb into a frying pan with some oil, cook on medium heat until starting to smell good. Add in the sugar and vinegar and cook until caramelised.
While this is going on, make the pesto. Chuck all the pesto ingredients into a blender (or use a stick whizz) and blend until as you want. If too thick just add some water and blend again. Put to the side.
Once the pastry tarts are cooked, the pumpkin is roasted and the fennel caramelised, spoon the pumpkin and fennel mix into the pastry tarts / cases. Pour over the pesto, sprinkle some more rocket and you’re done.
Alternatives
Want it meaty? Grill some chicken and put in into the cases at the same time as spooning in the veges.
Want it gluten free? Use a gluten free pastry.
Want it nut free? Sorry, you’re out of luck. Or just don’t use the pesto.
H/T
This recipe is adapted from one by taste.com.au