Golden shiitakes, slow-cooked onions and chickpeas tucked under a creamy cauliflower topping. A warming, hearty bake from Amy Chaplin, who believes seasonal wholefoods need very little to become a nourishing meal.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 45ml extra-virgin coconut oil
- 680g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 3 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced lengthwise
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 170g sliced Swiss chard (tough stems removed)
- 215g cooked chickpeas, drained, with 60ml cooking liquid reserved, or one 425g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed thoroughly
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 60ml filtered water if using canned chickpeas
- 2 tsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tbsp filtered water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 quantity cauliflower bake topping (see below)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- Warm a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add half the shiitakes and the thyme, stir to coat with oil, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring only every minute or two so the mushrooms can brown, until golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the remaining mushrooms. Wash and dry the pan if there are blackened bits on the bottom.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and lightly browned. Remove the lid, add the salt and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes, or until the onions are caramelised. Add the chard, cover and allow to steam for 3 minutes, or until tender. Add the chickpeas, cooked mushrooms, tamari, balsamic vinegar, and chickpea cooking liquid or 60ml water, raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Dissolve the arrowroot in the tablespoon of water, stir, and drizzle into the simmering mixture, stirring constantly. When the mixture has returned to a simmer, remove from the heat and season to taste with pepper and more salt.
- Transfer the mixture to a 20cm square (or similar) baking dish and smooth the surface. Spread the cauliflower topping evenly over the filling. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the topping has begun to set. Grill the bake for 3 to 6 minutes, until the topping is golden and browning in places. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for a few minutes before serving.
- Once cooled, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, put the bake in a baking dish, cover and warm in a 200°C oven until heated through.
Cauliflower bake topping
- 100g raw cashews, soaked in 480ml water for 2 to 4 hours
- 180ml filtered water
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 4cm pieces
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 5 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Sea salt
- Drain and rinse the cashews, then put them in an upright blender with the 180ml water and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Steam the cauliflower for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Put it in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the blended cashew milk. Blend until completely smooth and fluffy, then taste for seasoning.
- Spread over the filling as in step 4 above, smooth the top, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and scatter with cracked pepper before baking.
Recipe from Whole Food Cooking Every Day by Amy Chaplin (Artisan Books). Photography by Anson Smart. Find more of Amy's recipes at amychaplin.com.
