Farinata with Red Kuri Squash and Kale

At Bedfolk HQ we love nothing better than slow weekend mornings followed by a delicious brunch. So we've teamed up with Tina Jui, cook, writer and photographer at The Worktop, to bring you some of our favourite recipes. 

This Farinata with red kuri squash and kale is a colourful and vibrant dish for brunch. Like a savoury crepe (but healthier and richer in taste), it’s packed full of nutrients, vitamins and all that good stuff. Vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan-friendly (just leave out the halloumi). 

The Recipe

Prep Time  | 15 minutes
Cook Time | 15 minutes
Serving     | 4

Ingredients

Farinata Batter

• 325 milliliters water
• 175 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil - plus a little extra for cooking
• 125 grams chickpea flour (gram flour)
• Salt and pepper - to taste

Kale and Red Kuri Squash Topping

• 1 medium red kuri squash
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt - to taste
• Oil - for cooking
• 1 medium yellow onion - diced
• 200 grams mushrooms - cleaned and roughly chopped
• 1 bunch (about 400 grams) green kale - washed and patted dry
• 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
• Salt and pepper - to taste
• 200 grams halloumi - thickly sliced (optional - leave it out for a vegan recipe)

How to make

Farinata Batter

1. Put all the batter ingredients in a blender and combine for about 30 seconds on fast until smooth. Don't worry if there are a few bubbles. Set aside to rest for about 30 minutes.

Topping

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. Carefully cut red kuri squash in half, remove all seeds and strings. Cut squash into half moons. Toss the cut squash in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until soft.
3. In the meantime, trim thick stems off kale and remove the ribs. Stack sections of leaves and roll them into a tube, then cut them into ribbons crosswise.
4. In a medium skillet, heat the cooking oil on medium heat. Add in the onions and cook until just softened, stirring frequently. Add in the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms are also softened, stirring frequently. Add in the kale, nigella seeds, and a small ladle of water (about 3 tablespoons worth). Give it a quick stir and then cover (the water will steam the kale) and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the cover and cook, stirring frequently until the water has all evaporated, about 2 minutes.
5. If serving with halloumi, transfer the kale mixture to a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, fry the halloumi on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Farinata

1. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour one-quarter of the batter into the pan and swirl round to cover the base. Fry until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Flip over and fry the other side until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve

1. Place the farinata on individual plates, and evenly divide the kale and mushroom mixture on top. Evenly divide half of the roasted red kuri squash on top. If using, add on the grilled halloumi. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and salt.

Enjoy!

This recipe first appeared on www.theworktop.com