It’s time to bring out the post-festive season veggies! With the right touch, they’ll be just as scrumptious as any festive roast. 

Roasted pumpkin with rosemary crumb and herb sauce 

Serves 4

Total time 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the pumpkin

Pumpkin, cut into thin wedges ½
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the sauce

1 Cup fresh parsley
1 Cup fresh coriander
1 Tsp dried oregano
¼ Minced red onion
1 Clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
½ Cup olive oil

For the crumb

2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Slices day-old white bread, finely torn

Method

For the pumpkin 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Toss the pumpkin, oil and cinnamon to coat evenly.
3. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until caramelised and tender. 

For the sauce 

1. Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until still chunky. Alternatively, roughly chop them.
2. Season with salt and pepper.

For the crumb 

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
2. Once at a medium heat, add the garlic and rosemary and fry for about 10 seconds until fragrant.
3. Remove from the heat, add the bread chunks to the pan and stir.
4. Place bread chunks onto a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 5–6 minutes until crispy and golden. Remove and set aside to cool.
5. Break the bread chunks up into smaller croutons and place in a bowl for serving.

To serve 

Scatter the rosemary crumb over the roasted pumpkin and serve with the herb sauce in a sauceboat on the side. 

Beetroot, walnut and feta tart  

Serves 4

Total time 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the pastry  

1 Roll store bought puff pastry, defrosted
1 Egg, whisked

For the filling 

250g Cooked beetroot, sliced thinly
200g Feta
Thyme leaves, a handful
10g Walnuts or almonds, chopped
Black pepper
Olive oil to drizzle

Method

For the pastry 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 
2. Grease and line a large rectangular baking tray.
3. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until 1cm thick.
4. Cut a 1cm border around the rectangle of pastry. Remove carefully.
5. Cut this border at each corner to create 2 long strips from the length of the rectangle and 2 short strips from its width. Set aside.
6. Place the rectangle of pastry on the prepared baking tray.
7. Brush the edges of the pastry rectangle with the whisked egg.
8. Place the pastry strips onto the edges of the large rectangular pastry sheet to create a thick border, press down to seal.
9. Bake in oven for 10 minutes until lightly golden in colour. Remove, and reduce oven temperature to 180°C. 

For the filling 

1. Sprinkle half the feta over the pastry. 
2. Arrange the sliced beetroot over the cheese.
3. Cover beetroot with the remaining feta, thyme and walnuts or almonds. Season and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the beetroot has caramelised.
5. Remove the tart from the oven, slice into triangles and serve.

Spiced cauliflower steaks with tahini 

Serves 4

Total time 45 minutes 

 

Ingredients

For the cauliflower 

3 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Lime or lemon, zested
2 Tbsp ground paprika
3 Tsp ground turmeric 3 tsp
1 Cauliflower head
2 Tbsp coconut shavings ordessicated coconut   

To serve 

½ Cup tahini
2 Tsp lemon juice
A handful fresh parsley, chopped

Method

For the cauliflower 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Combine the oil, garlic, lemon juice, zest and spices in a bowl and stir.
3. Cut the cauliflower head into 4 thick steaks then place on a greased tray.
4. Brush both sides of each cauliflower steak with the basting. Be sure to keep aside enough of the basting for a generous second coat.
5. Roast the steaks for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and baste.
7. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until the steaks are tender. 
8. Scatter the coconut shavings over the cauliflower 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

To serve 

1. In a bowl, stir the tahini and lemon juice together.
2. To serve, place a cauliflower steak on a plate, drizzle over the tahini dressing, sprinkle some chopped parsley and finish it off with a crack of black pepper.

Crispy chickpea gyros 

Serves 4

Total time 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the chickpeas 

1 Can of chickpeas, rinsed and dried
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ Tsp ground paprika
½ Tsp garlic powder
½ Tsp dried or fresh oregano

For the tzatziki  

1 Cup plain yoghurt
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ Cucumber, finely diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

For serving 

4 Pita bread
2 Cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ Cucumber, diced
A handful of lettuce leaves, washed

Method

For the chickpeas

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. In a bowl, toss the chickpeas, oil and seasoning to combine. 
3. Arrange the chickpeas on a greased baking tray, making sure to spread them evenly.
4. Roast for 15 minutes, remove and shake the pan to turn the chickpeas. 
5. Roast for another 5-10 minutes until golden in colour. 
6. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the tzatziki  

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste. 

To serve 

1. Lightly toast the pita breads in a dry pan over high heat.
2. Place the pita breads on individual plates. Layer the tzatziki, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce leaves on top of the bread. 
3. Serve immediately with extra tzatziki on the side and garnish with herbs.

Words by Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomans