This dish belongs to the Yiachni, Yiachnista or Yiachnera category of dishes. These are basically dishes of vegetables, sometimes with meat too which are braised in a saucepan.
In this recipe, I used a few vegetables I had (sometimes, we have one of something, two of another and this kind of dish is perfect for using up what you’ve got) but you don’t have to use all of these or use up what you’ve got.
I chose to separately roast a Cumberland sausage in the oven (just rubbed with some olive oil and cooked at 180 degrees for 35 minutes) but you can serve this casserole with anything you like. As is common with olive oil based dishes, feta will sit very comfortably on the plate beside it.
Or for a plant based dish, just eat with some lovely crusty bread and obviously omit the bacon.
Ingredients (serves 4-5)
- 3 rushers of smoked bacon, roughly chopped
- 30ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 leeks, finely sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
- ½ small butternut squash peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 small cauliflower, florets only
- 150ml vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp turmeric
- A small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Method
Bring a sauteing pan with the olive oil to a medium heat and add the bacon. Cook for 3-4 minutes to release the flavours and remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
Add the onion and leeks, stir to coat with the oil, lower the heat and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, pepper and chilli and continue cooking for a few more minutes stirring from time to time. Add the tomato paste and turmeric and stir to coat the vegetables. Empty the contents of the tomato can into the pan and season with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir, add the bay leaves, turmeric and stock.
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook for a few minutes. Last add the cauliflower florets and return the bacon to the pan. Cover again and cook on a low heat for approx.. 30-35 minutes. Check that the vegetables are tender but holding their shape and the sauce has thickened.
Serve sprinkled with some finely chopped parsley.