The tender, caramelised vegetables marry perfectly with the peppery, fresh watercress, creamy feta cheese and sweet, crunch candied pecans. It’s the perfect light and refreshing dinner…
A salad that really fills you up
560g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into 3cm (11⁄4in) cubes
225g small shallots, peeled
1 small bulb garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
50g pecan nuts
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1⁄2 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tsp walnut oil
140g watercress
1⁄2 x 220g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
200g feta, rinsed and patted dry
1 heaped tbsp sunflower seeds (optional)
1. Place the chopped squash, whole shallots and garlic bulb in the oven roasting tray and toss with half the olive oil. Roast on shelf 1 on CircoTherm® 170°C for 15 minutes.
2. Place the pecans in a small ovenproof dish and mix with half the maple syrup. Place on shelf 3, above the vegetables, turn up the oven temperature to CircoTherm® 180°C and cook for 8-10 minutes until the nuts are golden and the squash is tender.
3. Shake the hot candied nuts onto a large plate and separate them so they don’t cool in clusters. Allow the vegetables to cool, then squeeze the garlic cloves from their papery skins.
4. Whisk the remaining olive oil and maple syrup with the balsamic vinegar, mustard, walnut oil and a little seasoning to make a dressing. 5. Divide the watercress among 6 plates and arrange the squash, shallots and garlic among the leaves.Toss the chickpeas in half the dressing and spoon onto the plates. Crumble over the feta and sprinkle with the candied pecans and the sunflower seeds (if using). Finish with a drizzle of the remaining dressing and serve.
Why use this particular Neff function? CircoTherm® roasts the vegetables beautifully, leaving them tender and deliciously caramelised without scorching or drying them out. Be warned, the candied pecans are addictive!
‘Whilst the contents of this recipe (taken from Neff’s book The Recipe Collection) has been developed for use in conjunction with a Neff oven, it is possible to achieve successful results when using different oven brands. Simply follow the recipes and refer to your appliance user manual, as some manufacturers may suggest using higher temperature settings.’
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