2
4 slices white bread
1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tbsp butter, at room temperature
generous pinch salt
generous pinch pepper
2 leeks
1 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 head cauliflower
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 zucchini
300-g pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1/2 cup grated parmesan, or asiago
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp dried sage leaves, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups 35% cream
Preheat oven to 400F (200C). For topping, trim crusts from bread. Place slices on a baking sheet. Toast in centre of preheated oven until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Tear toasted bread into large pieces and place in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) cheese, chives, butter, salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form.
Reduce oven temperature to 375F (190C). Slice off and discard dark green tops and roots of leeks. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Fan out and rinse under water to remove any grit. Thinly slice. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic. Stir often until leeks begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, cut cauliflower into small bite-size pieces and peppers into similar-size pieces. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, then slice. Add to leeks. Squeeze excess water from spinach. Add spinach to vegetables. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup (125 mL) Parmesan, flour, sage, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Toss to evenly mix.
Turn into a lightly buttered 9x13-inch (3-L) baking dish and evenly spread out. Gently press down to lightly pack. Using a fork, beat Dijon into cream until evenly blended. Evenly pour over vegetables. Sprinkle bread crumbs overtop. Cover pan tightly with foil.
Bake in centre of preheated oven, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until vegetables are fork-tender and topping is golden, about 15 to 20 more minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Calories 258, Protein 8.5g, Carbohydrates 15.9g, Fat 18.9g, Fibre 3.6g, Sodium 472mg.
This comforting dish is the perfect sidekick for your turkey. With lots of fall vegetables in one dish, it's a great make-ahead and a welcome alternative entree for vegetarians.
Prepare casserole, but don't sprinkle bread-crumb mixture overtop. Store topping in resealable plastic bag. Cover casserole and refrigerate both overnight. When ready to bake, remove casserole from refrigerator and leave at room temperature, 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Evenly sprinkle bread-crumb mixture overtop vegetables. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 45 to 50 minutes, then remove foil. Continue baking until vegetables are fork-tender and topping is golden, 15 to 20 minutes.