Description
Here’s a special occasion brunch recipe perfect for Mother’s Day or as part of a vegetarian feast or a main meal. Baked pumpkin is delicious on its own, as is the eggplant hummus but even greater when the two meet!
Ingredients
1/2 small-medium pumpkin, cut into 4 wedges, skin on
1 Tbs macadamia oil
Pinch or 2 of salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
6 baby pickled figs, halved, *use sliced dried figs if preferred
1 Tbs syrup from fig pickled figs, *use maple syrup if preferred
2 Tbs crème fraiche, marscapone, fetta, cashew cheese or sheep’s yoghurt of your choice
Micro herbs – coriander, red radish leaves, to serve
1 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed between your fingers
Eggplant hummus
2 medium eggplants, wiped over
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drained
2 Tbs white tahini
1 lemon, juice only
1/4 cup herbs – coriander, mint and/or parsley
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp smoked salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
Cayenne pepper *optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Rub pumpkin wedges with macadamia oil, salt and smoked paprika.
- Prick eggplant with a fork a few times to let out steam while baking.
- Place the pumpkin and eggplants on a baking tray.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until pumpkin tender.
- Remove pumpkin from oven, set aside.
- Add garlic cloves to baking tray and continue baking eggplant for a further 10-15 mins or until the eggplant is tender. You can slice in half to check or press gently with your fingers being careful not to burn them!
- Remove eggplants and garlic from oven. Allow to cool then remove the stalk and roughly chop.
- In a food processor, add eggplant, garlic, drained chickpeas, tahini lemon juice, herbs, olive oil, smoked salt and smoked paprika.
- Blitz until crumbly but not pureed. Add more smoked salt, smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper – if you like.
To serve
- Spread a bed of eggplant hummus on serving plates.
- Place pumpkin wedge skin side down on top of eggplant hummus.
- Add halved pickled figs, fig syrup, crème fraiche and micro herbs.
- Finish with pink peppercorns, crushed between your fingers
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Brunch
- Cuisine: Australian
Keywords: #mothersday #plantbased